The Next Great Adventure
by ThatGuyYouKnew
Summary: Sick and tired of the magical world, Harry decides he needs a drastic change of scenery, and what's a more drastic change than an entirely new world? On to the next great adventure!
1. The More Things Change

**Disclaimer:**

I Don't own anything related to the right of Harry Potter or Warcraft.

**Author's Note:**

Inspired by _The Black Scorpion_ by etincelle047, which I believe has been abandoned, and _Wizard Runemaster_ by plums, which is a pretty new story. Also damn good. I truly recommend reading them. Honestly, it seems all the decent Harry Potter/Warcraft crossovers start in either Felwood or Wyrmrest Temple. Felwood seems to be the only places that has a good "feel" for a beginning, so a number of things are pretty similar in the first few chapters, but I tried to spin a half-decent story. Let me know if I succeeded.

**(Feb. 19th, 2013)** - Changed some things, such as the amount of time that had passed between the end of the war and Harry opening the portal. Also added a few things and made some minor edits. I think it reads better now.

**(Mar. 18th, 2013)** - Added some memories and minor edits. It more than doubled the word count for this chapter.

**(Aug. 20th, 2013)** - Reworked and tweaked.

Oh, and no Beta, so all mistakes are my own.

**Publish Date:** Jan. 28th, 2013

**Update Date:** Aug. 20th, 2013

* * *

**Chapter One**

The More Things Change...

**London, England  
**

Harry opened the front door and entered his flat with a tired sigh, mindlessly hanging his dark gray cloak up on the hook next to the door with one hand, a habit thoroughly ingrained over more than two decades of repetition. Still on autopilot, he moved down the short hallway and into his office, maneuvering smoothly over to the rickety desk covered with stacks of parchment, every inch of every piece filled with his small, neat handwriting and drawings of rune schemes. The entire office, specifically the area around the desk, was an absolute walking hazard for anyone but him. Books with scraps and pieces of parchment stuck between pages overflowed the bookshelves and spilled into piles and stacks, some taller than he was, on any available surface, the most commonly used ones scattered haphazardly within arms reach of the chair. The rubbish bin was beginning to overflow with balled up pieces of parchment, empty whiskey bottles, and take-away containers, the calendar on the wall showing a date months past.

Hermione once called it a mess. He called it 'organized chaos'. That alone caused a rant about how chaos was inherently unorganized, and how he should just call it what it was. A mess. He still refused to budge on the issue, but that was more stubbornness than anything else. It was his office, he'd call it whatever he liked, full stop.

Harry flopped down into the well-worn chair, causing it to creak and groan in protest to the sudden weight. It was a sound he had become used to. At first it had made him jump slightly every time, thinking that the poor piece of overused furniture would collapse in a gentle breeze, but after a while he came to realize that it was just old, and not really in danger of structural failure, so he began ignoring the noises. He absently reached into an open drawer, pulled out a half-full bottle of firewhiskey from the night before and took a long pull straight from the bottle, draining nearly half of what was left in one go. He pulled the glass container away from his lips with a heavy sigh and set it down on the only empty spot on the desk in front of him with practiced ease, his mind racing over memories and information, his body absolutely still.

Twenty-three years since the end of the war.

* * *

_It was over. Voldemort was finally dead and gone and couldn't come back. The silence that filled the room was deafening, and no one moved. Then, all at once, every person in the Great Hall let out a massive cheer, screaming in joy at the top of there lungs. Clapping, whooping, cheering filled the castle, and the word was quickly spread._

_Voldemort was dead._

_All through the celebrations, Harry just stood there, motionless, his holly and phoenix feather wand in one hand and the Elder Wand in the other. He couldn't seem to grasp what he was seeing before him. The prophecy was complete, he didn't have to keep looking over his shoulder for those red eyes chasing him. No more visions. No more forced nightmares. He was completely and utterly free. He stared at Voldemort's lifeless form with one single thought running through his mind over and over._

_What do I do now?_

* * *

After he took down Voldemort, one of the first things he did was replace his glasses with permanent magical contacts with some of the same enchantments that Mad-Eye's fake eye had been enchanted with. He had been rendered effectively blind in the middle of a fight far too often for him to be comfortable wearing them any more. He was just glad his hearing was so good to compensate.

* * *

_"Accio glasses!"_

_The well worn and heavily repaired frames ripped away from Harry's face, rendering the world into a shapeless, blurry mass. He squinted in a futile effort to see at least a bit of what was going on around him, he could still hear the battle continuing, but Harry couldn't cast at anything, afraid he'd hit his friends instead._

_"Can't hit what you can't see, can you, boy!" His opponent stupidly mocked._

_Harry half-grinned and fired off a vicious bone-breaker. He was rewarded with a number of loud snaps and his mocker screaming in pain._

_He could still hit what he could hear._

* * *

It took him a few weeks to get used to the multiple mentally activated enchantments on them, sometimes activating one on accident and once nearly blinding himself when the ability to see magical auras suddenly came on full blast in the middle of Diagon Alley.

* * *

_Harry was walking down the Alley with Ron and Hermione, laughing and joking. Hermione split off to go to the bookstore, as usual, and he and Ron headed over to Quality Quidditch Supplies. They could see a new type of broom had come out recently from half-way down the Alley, and they were dying to know more about it. Harry idly wondered what kind of runes and enchantments went into making a broom, and was suddenly assaulted with the blindingly bright lights of every magical aura in Diagon Alley. Considering _everything_ in the Alley had some kind of enchantment on it, every building had wards for protection, every person gave off an aura, all Harry could see was a wall of light. He snapped his eyes shut and gave the mental command for his Aura Sight to stop, cautiously opening his eyes after a moment and trying to blink the spots from his vision. _

_"Are you okay mate?" Ron asked, concerned at Harry's sudden stopping and acting as if he couldn't see._

_Harry turned to his friend and said jokingly, "Yeah, just blinded by the sheer awesomeness of that new broom!" He had yet to tell his friends about the enchantments on his contacts. He wanted to get used to them first before he brought it up._

_Ron grinned and clapped him on the back, saying, "I don't blame you, mate. We were all like that when the Firebolt came out, and this new one looks like it's even better!"_

* * *

After that he got a job with Ron and Neville as an Auror. Tried to make the magical world a safer place. Hunting down and defeating dark wizards and witches seemed to be what he was best at, so he figured he might as well get paid for the effort, and being someone 'for-hire' didn't really appeal to him. After the year of being on the run hunting for snake-face's Horcruxes, Auror training was actually pretty damn easy. He, Ron and Neville shot through it like a rocket and outclassed every other recruit in the program. The three of them finished training in just a few months instead of the three years it was supposed to take.

* * *

_Harry, Ron and Neville grinned as the official Auror badges were pinned to their uniforms, right over their hearts. They flew through the training program in four months. They knew they still had some things to learn, but it was all things that only experience could teach them. Harry looked down at the badge on his chest and grinned wider. He had a job that would allow him to protect people, something that he accomplished that he felt proud of, and no one could say he did it with his name, because Ron and Neville were with him the entire way._

_The three of them earned this, and that was the most important thing in the world at the moment. The three friends looked at each other, silently agreeing on one immediate thing._

_There was going to be a hell of a party that night._

* * *

Twenty-one years since he took the job in the Department of Mysteries.

It was two years after enrolling in the Auror program before he realized they only wanted him as a fucking mascot. A figurehead for them to parade around like a damned puppet. He rarely had any real assignments, mostly public appearances and low-risk details. He quickly grew tired of it.

* * *

_Harry stormed into the Director's office after receiving his new assignment. Once again it was Patrol Duty in the Alley. He didn't mind it at first, back when he, Ron and Neville all drew short straws and got Alley Patrol, but the two of them were now routinely being assigned to raids and manhunts. The least boring assignment he had gotten so far was this, and this was bordering on mind-numbing. So far, most of his work had been to make public appearances, something he loathed with every fiber of his being._

_He stood in front of the Director and said, "Sir, why are the brand new recruits being sent out on manhunts for Death Eaters? Here I am stuck with more Alley Patrol, and I clearly remember you telling me two years ago that those patrols are for the new recruits to get their feet wet and get a feel for the job."_

_The director stammered and shuffled the papers on his desk before speaking in a rush, "You've already done your job with Voldemort, there's no need to risk yourself with something dangerous!" The director seemed to realize his mistake the moment he made it, and tried to backpedal to save himself._

_Harry ignored it, and just barely ignored the overwhelming urge to rip his badge off and shove it down the director's throat to shut him up and keep him from digging himself further into the hole he was in already._

* * *

He used a few connections he had made over the years and transferred into the Department of Mysteries, a place where he could quite literally hide behind a mask and advance on his own merit instead of his name. Since the Director of the DoM was the only one who knew who he was and what he wanted, coming to an agreement was actually pretty simple.

* * *

_Harry sat in front of the Director of the DoM. The Director just asked him why he wanted to transfer into his department when he had a perfectly good job in the Auror Corps. Harry leaned back in his chair, organizing his thoughts before saying, "I want to work somewhere that will utilize my skills, instead of my name. The Auror's office is more concerned with using my reputation as the bloody 'Man-Who-Conquered' instead of using my skills. They want a mascot, and that's something I'll never be able to stomach."_

_The Director was quiet, motionless, simply staring at Harry. Harry stared back and refused to start fidgeting. Finally the Director spoke. "I believe you will fit in very well here, Mr. Potter. Welcome to the Department of Mysteries."_

* * *

He went on a number of dangerous assignments, most times alone or only with Dobby, but all that did was quickly erode what little faith he had left in the magical world and its inhabitants. It was a year into his tenure at the Department of Mysteries when he came up with his absolutely ridiculous idea. He tried to shake it off, but it kept popping up in his mind, and pretty soon he was trying to find a way to make it happen.

* * *

_Harry was tired. He had just finished a long term reconnaissance mission and some of the things he had seen... He was tired of seeing such depravity, tired of not being able to do anything to help because of orders, tired of others ignoring it simply because it didn't directly affect them, tired of his unwanted fame, tired of not even being able to walk out of his own bloody flat without being mobbed. He was just plain bloody tired._

_A thought bubbled up to the surface of his mind, something that he had idly toyed with and discarded as an impossibility. A thought that he might be able to find a way to get away. A thought that might let him find some peace and quiet, even if it was only for a bit. He never really did look into it before, he just dismissed it out of hand and promptly forgot about it._

_Maybe it was time to do some research. The DoM had the one of the largest repositories of knowledge in the world. Maybe it was time to put it to use._

* * *

Twenty long years of study and research in between assignments.

He chuckled humorlessly at that last thought. A year into the job at the DoM and he was sick of damn near the entire magical world. He only stayed in the Department so he could have unfettered access to the centuries of secret books and notes that they kept in meticulous detail. Runes, wards, combat, wandless and elemental magics, enchantments and various other things thought lost to the ravages time was quite literally at his fingertips. He spent a lot of time over the years copying those tomes and scrolls and notes for himself. He had a number of expanded trunks to hold his steadily growing personal library.

All he could say about that was one thing. Time-Turners were an absolutely wonderful invention.

When he wasn't working, he was researching and training, keeping his skills from the war and his assignments razor-sharp. He sunk into his personal research and training with a vengeance, barely taking enough time to eat or sleep. Quite a few times in the early years after he transferred to the Department, Hermione had found him slumped over his desk, books piled around him, his head pillowed on stacks of parchment, his entire body covered in cuts and bruises.

* * *

_Hermione used her key to get into Harry's flat, calling his name out loudly as she came in. He was supposed to meet everyone at her and Ron's house for dinner, but he was late. Again._

_When he didn't answer, she thought maybe he had just lost track of time and he was already on his way over. On a whim, she glanced into the room he was using as an office, finding him sitting in his rickety creaky old chair with the squeaky wheel that drove her insane, his head pillowed on his arms on top of a thick stack of parchment, quietly snoring away. She huffed and stomped over, shaking his arm to try and wake him. When that didn't work, she used her next tactic, shaking his arm harder and yelling his name in his ear. The only response that garnered was a groan and a wave of his arm, before said arm dropped back to the desk. Hermione huffed louder and decided to break out the big guns in waking Harry James Bloody Potter._

_She raised her leg and gave a mighty kick to the side of the chair, tipping it over and spilling Harry across the floor with a yelp._

_In Harry's futile attempt to keep upright, books were knocked to the floor with a crash, quills and ink were scattered, and parchment learned how to fly._

_Harry looked around and blinked owlishly, making Hermione smirk slightly. "Hermione?" He asked, his voice thick with sleep. "What's going on?" He looked around and asked dumbly, "Why am I on the floor?"_

_Hermione arched an eyebrow at him and said tersely, "No idea, but I know where you're _supposed _to be. At my house for dinner."_

_Harry looked at her blankly before turning and looking at the calendar on the wall. "I am?"_

_Hermione's eyebrow went up further, one hand on her hip and the other tapping her wand against her thigh. "Yes," She hissed. "And you were supposed to be there one hour and thirty-nine minutes ago."_

_"Oh... Oops?" Harry responded with a lop-sided grin, hoping against all hope and every shred of evidence that he would be spared from Hurricane Hermione. She wasn't too fond of that nickname he and Ron made up, but it fit perfectly when she went nuclear._

_"HARRY JAMES POTTER!"_

_And Hurricane Hermione stuck again._

* * *

Over time the piles of books turned in to mountains that just got taller and taller as her visits got further and further apart. He still remembered her last visit. She actually tried to get him to take a break from studying.

_Hermione_ tried to get _him_ to take a break from studying.

Talk about role reversal.

* * *

_Hermione sighed and took the book out of Harry's hands, ignoring his protests. He was officially worse than she ever was in school. This secret project of his was taking it's toll, and he looked horrible. It wasn't just the cuts and bruises from his rigorous training either. His eyes were sunken in with dark bags under them, his once bright green orbs were darker and duller, almost lifeless. Judging from the smell, he hadn't taken a shower since his vacation started a week ago, __and she would swear he had lost weight since she had last seen him._

_That was eight months ago now that she thought about it._

_"Harry, you need to stop. At least take a break, get a shower and some food. This project isn't going to get up and walk out of the house," Hermione said, trying to talk some sense into him._

_Harry vainly reached for the book being held out of his reach. "But I'm so close to a breakthrough! I know it!"_

_"Harry," Hermione said firmly, "You need to take a break from this research. That's what a vacation is for, you know."_

_Harry froze and stared at her with wide eyes. After a moment he snorted in humor and said jokingly, "Who are you and what have you done with Hermione? I don't think she would ever advocate taking a break from study!"_

_Hermione sighed and wondered if she was ever really that bad. How had they put up with her for years if she was even just remotely close to this? She really wasn't sure she would be able to do what they had and put up with her. "At least go take a shower and get some food. You can eat while you read, it's called multitasking. I did it all the time, remember?"_

_Harry sighed and finally gave in, heading off to do that as quickly as he could so he could get back to his project. Hermione estimated that he would be busy for at least fifteen minutes. She set the book down and walked out of the office, closing the door behind her. She looked down the hallway to make sure he was really doing something else, and turned back to the door and raised her wand, casting locking charms and setting up wards over the door so he wouldn't be able to get back in for the rest of his vacation. Or at least delay him for a day or two._

_When Harry finally emerged, he went to the office door and was stopped by the new wards. He frowned and pulled his wand, ignoring everything around him and started the long process of breaking in to his own office._

_Hermione looked over her shoulder as she left, sighing sadly as he muttered under his breath and attempted to break through her wards, oblivious to the world around him._

* * *

That was over four years ago now that he thought about it. When was the last time he went out with any of his old friends? He couldn't remember. Honestly he couldn't bring himself to care anymore either. Every time he tried to go anywhere in the magical world after the war he got mobbed immediately like never before. It had eventually caused quite the fallout between him and Ron. The bastard's jealous streak flared up and he said some things that Harry would never be able to forgive. Things with Hermione just got more and more strained after that. He didn't really blame her though, she had a family to take care of and a career that he was sure was heading straight to the minister's office in just a few more years. He was also pretty sure that Ron had threatened to take their kids and leave if she didn't stop speaking to him. It was definitely something he'd do.

Not only that, but he still looked the same as he did at twenty. All of his former friends had obviously matured. The beginnings of wrinkles around the eyes and mouth, the slightest of gray in their hair. Not him though. Never him. He had taken to wearing heavy-duty glamors and sometimes muggle make-up and hair dye to make him look older than he was. It had been a bit of a sticking point the one time Hermione had been by and seen him without all of that, looking exactly like he did nearly a decade before. It took a while to convince her that he had no idea how it happened and that he had already spent quite a few years in the Department looking for anything he could about it and not to bother trying to retrace his steps because he couldn't lend her any of the books because of his oaths to the DoM. She eventually promised him she wouldn't tell anyone about it, even Ron, and she _always_ kept her promises to him. He didn't want her looking to hard because he had already found out why, he just didn't know what to do with the information, or how it really affected him other than his appearance.

_The Master of Death. _Apparently it was far more than _just_ a title.

He tried getting rid of the Hallows right after the war. Threw the Resurrection Stone into the ocean. Left the Elder Wand in Dumbledore's tomb. Got home that night, and there they were, sitting innocently on his desk. Tried getting rid of them again, came home, same thing. Over the years he had gotten used to it, but at first it truly freaked him out more than he cared to admit.

He didn't age at all anymore, but he wasn't sure if he could die or not. Even if he _could_ die, would he _stay_ dead? He didn't really want to risk it to find out. He wasn't _that_ curious.

He dragged his mind back to the present and shuffled through the papers on his desk, glancing over information he had already committed to memory years ago. A personal project two decades in the making.

And now he was finally finished. He was sure it would work. It _had_ to.

* * *

An official notice of someone quitting their job in the Department of Mysteries came across Hermione's desk late one afternoon just as she was getting ready to head home. She sighed tiredly and glared at the offending piece of parchment in her inbox. The ONLY piece of parchment in her inbox. She turned back to the door and briefly considered leaving it for the morning, knowing her inbox would be full by then anyway, and one more piece of work wasn't going to take much time.

But on the other hand, one more piece of work wasn't going to take much time.

Heaving a sigh as her shoulders slumped, she trudged back to her desk and picked up the parchment. She glanced over it to make sure all the information was placed correctly, signatures were signed and dated, and went to mark the notice as received and documented when she read the signature at the bottom and froze suddenly, staring at the notice as if it had made a logical argument that logic didn't exist.

Oddly enough, that had been one of her nightmares when she was a child.

Well, she didn't really _read_ the signature of the person quitting, more that she recognized the pattern of scratches where the signature _should_ go. Even with all of her help getting his handwriting up to legible standards, his signature was _always_ the same chicken scratching that was absolutely indecipherable to anyone else but him and her. And three others, but that was a different story_._

"Oh, Harry," Hermione sighed. "What are you up to this time?" She shook her head and went about her job, marking the notice as received and filed before absently sending copies to the appropriate departments and filing away the original.

The fact was, she was pretty sure she knew what he was going to do next. He had always said he wanted a normal life, she just had no idea what set this off now. Knowing him, he'd likely go as deep underground as he could, and wouldn't want anything attached to his name, and depending on how long he was planning to be gone, he might keep some of the investments his family had made.

Then again, knowing Harry's propensity for jumping first, he might decide to just sell it all off. Short-sighted to say the least.

Hermione missed having Harry around, and she was really starting to resent Ron for pushing her to chose between her family and Harry after the Christmas debacle five years ago. She should have fought him harder on it. Then and there, Hermione decided to do what she had always done, and to the best of her ability.

Take care of Harry Potter and his interests.

She finished up her work and headed determinedly for the door, changing her plans as she went, preparing a couple of short messages in her head to send off at the owl office in the Alley. There was a lot of work to do and likely not much time to do it.

* * *

It took another six months for Harry to get everything ready. He sold off every piece of property that he had inherited, except for Potter Manor. Traded the stock he had in various muggle and magical businesses for less than they were worth to get rid of it quickly, sometimes even just trading it for supplies. The last thing he did was to close out his Gringott's account and put all of his gold and heirlooms into storage trunks and shrink them down, label them, and toss the lot into the bottomless backpack he kept everything he owned in. By the time he finished his tasks, there was nothing owned by a Potter that wasn't on his person other than the manor, and even that had been stripped completely bare.

The only room with anything in it at all was the basement, and he was going to use that room for his project. It was a large space, just over fifty square meters and ten meters high, with runes carved into every bit of it from floor to ceiling. It had taken him months to finish it and charge the multitude of complicated runes, all with one goal in mind.

Creating a portal to a new world that had never heard of his bloody name.

Ambitious to say the least. Maybe he _should_ have let the hat put him in Slytherin.

Only one more thing to do, then it was time to kick things off.

Time to call his last true friend. After sixth year, the war went a bit downhill for the light side. Hunting for the horcruxes was time-consuming and tedious. Luckily they were never captured, although there were quite a few close calls. Dobby's help had been absolutely invaluable during that long year.

"Dobby!" Harry called out, waiting for the pop that would signal the arrival of his only remaining friend. It took some time but he was finally able to break Dobby of the habits that the Malfoy's had instilled in him. Now, Dobby was a bit of a prankster and was actually quite vicious when angered. Dobby had resolutely stood by him for years, no matter how bad things were. He even fought by him during the war and while he was working at the DoM. The look of surprise on the faces of the Death Eaters and other dark wizards and witches when they saw a house elf flinging them around like paper was absolutely priceless.

The little elf popped in and bounced on his toes. "What can Dobby be doing for master Harry, sir?"

Harry looked down and smiled the first genuine smile in a long time. "I'm about to start the ritual. Last chance to stay here in this world if that's what you want."

Dobby scowled and snapped his fingers, causing Harry's legs to swing out from under him and dropping him on his ass so they were eye-to-eye. "Dobby goes with master Harry. Dobby knows the risks. Dobby goes where master Harry goes," the elf said forcefully before breaking out in a large grin. "Besides, how will master Harry survive without his Dobby?"

Harry laughed loudly, the sound echoing in the chamber. He climbed back to his feet and brushed himself off. "Yes, how indeed," Harry replied once he was able to speak. "Well then, let's get to it old friend. No time like the present, right?"

Dobby just nodded and stood side-by-side with his master, right where he knew he belonged.

Nine hours of continuous chanting and meticulous wand-waving later, the air in front of Harry and Dobby shimmered and coalesced into a bright green, swirling portal. The two companions looked at each other and nodded once, Harry picking up his backpack and swinging the Invisibility Cloak over himself as Dobby vanished using his own special brand of magic before they stepped through the portal together and into a brand new world.

A few moments later the portal flickered and closed behind them, leaving nothing but an empty manor and silence.


	2. The More They Stay The Same

******Disclaimer:**

I Don't own anything related to the rights of Harry Potter or Warcraft.

**Author's Note:**

No beta, all mistakes belong to me.

**(Jan. 29th, 2013)** - Thanks to Stelle600 for pointing out some errors of mine in the middle of this chapter.

**(Feb. 3rd, 2013)** - plums pointed out the fact that chapters two and three could and _should_ be combined, because cutting it to parts made it feel choppy and a bit more difficult to read. After looking back and reading how it looks on the site, I agree completely, so this is actually those two chapters, plus what I was going to do for some if not most of chapter four, along with some edits and additions. And yes plums, I went back and double and triple checked for structure and capitalization errors. Thanks for pointing those out, they bother me as well :-). Don't know if I got them all, but I tried to.

**(Feb. 19th, 2013)** - Minor edits and additions, nothing major.

**(Mar. 18th, 2013)** - More minor edits and additions.

**(Aug 20th, 2013)** - Reworked and tweaked.

**Additional Authors Note:**

I apologize profusely for this, as I _really_ don't like overly long author's notes myself, but there are two things I feel I should address before it becomes an issue and one thing that was asked of me in a review. I'm not trying to be sarcastic, snarky, or anything like that, I just want to alleviate a couple concerns some readers might have about this story and respond to an honest request I received.

_**First point: God-Like Harry  
**_

Harry one-shotting the Dread Lord near the beginning of this chapter. Harry is using the elder wand, a wand said to make the wielder unbeatable, so I'm betting it amplifies the power of a spell quite a bit, and I'm betting it's enough to overcome some serious magical resistance. He will have _incredible_ power, but everything has a counter-balance in this.

So no, I am _not_ making Harry god-like, or giving him too much power. He _is_ human, he _will_ make mistakes, he _won't_ be completely annihilating everything in his path, and he _will_ be getting his ass handed to him on a silver platter from time to time. He just hasn't _yet_.

_**Second point: Animagus  
**_

I _really_ want Harry to be an animagus, but most of the animals don't seem to have the right _feel_ to them. I see the animagus transformation as an extension of their personality. I'll definitely take suggestions at this point, and I'm willing to accept magical animals as an option, even dragons. Just remember though, for every bit of extra power Harry gets, there's going to be something equal _somewhere_ to counter it.

_**Third point: Relationship pairing  
**_

KinderSurprise2012 asked me to post what the pairing of this story would be. To be honest, I haven't decided. I don't know if I want to write an OC, use a canon character, have a monogamous relationship, or multiple partners, either concurrently (A.K.A. a harem, and if so, it will most likely be a small one) or consecutively (bouncing from one relationship to the next). Any suggestions on this point will be seriously considered as well. No suggestion will be discarded out of hand, provided it's not absolutely ridiculous. The only thing I will say 'no' to with absolute certainty is slash. I'm simply not comfortable writing it, and this story is about _your_ enjoyment in reading it just as much as it is about _my_ enjoyment in writing it. If slash is what you want, I'm sorry. It's simply not gonna happen.

**Publish Date:** Jan. 28th, 2013

**Update Date:** Aug 20th, 2013

* * *

**Chapter Two**

...The More They Stay The Same

**Shadow Hold, Felwood**

Arko'narin was a rather young female Night Elf, just barely out of her first century of living. She sat silently in her cage, her knees drawn up to her chest, trying to hide as much of her naked body as she could and keep herself as warm as possible. Modesty was a moot point by now, but it made her feel just the tiniest bit better, and she'd take any little thing that did that. It had been just over a week since she and her partner Trey Lightforge had been captured, and he had been dragged off deeper into the depths of the tunnels almost immediately.

His screams of absolute agony had only stopped a few hours ago.

_Toy. Entertainment. Pet._

That's what they kept calling her, trying to take away any sense of identity she had. She couldn't get the words out of her mind, they just kept repeating, over and over. She knew her turn was coming up shortly, and she knew what would happen to her. They had made that much painfully obvious ever since she had her armor ripped off her and she was thrown rather violently into the cage she now resided in. The simple thought of it all caused her to hug her knees tighter to her chest as she tried to fight off the tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. They kept describing in terrifyingly _vivid_ detail every single little thing they would do to her, repeatedly and as a group, who would get to _play_ with her first, what order she'd be passed around in like a party favor, just how much they _all_ would enjoy her screaming and begging before they broke her completely.

_Scream and beg and cry all you want little girl, it just makes them enjoy it more.  
_

And she knew that if she was very, _very_ lucky, that would be the only way they violated her before they killed her.

_You won't be that lucky, little girl.  
_

Arko'narin frowned as the voice echoed in her mind. It had started a few days ago, just a small niggling at first, and getting louder and louder with each passing hour. She had no idea what or who it was, but it was making it quite difficult to keep her hopes up.

A sudden rumbling from deeper in the caverns caught her attention, along with the attention of the demons and warlocks in the room guarding her. It only lasted a few minutes before it stopped just as suddenly as it began, followed by silence. The guards quickly lost interest, but their hearing wasn't as good as hers. She strained her ears to try to hear something, anything that might signal a rescue. She knew that it wasn't really possible, the disturbance came from the wrong direction, but she still had hope, even if she knew it was false hope.

___False hope doesn't change a thing, little girl._ you'll die a screaming broken toy.

And she damn sure wasn't going to give _that_ up easily.

* * *

Lord Banehollow was bored.

Scratch that, he was _really_ bored.

The male holy knight had barely lasted a week, not even long enough for the Dread Lord or the succubus twins to have any real fun torturing him.

Sitting on his throne, he weighed the pro's and con's of having the female brought to him to relieve his dreadful boredom. He failed to notice the wall behind him crack, spilling a thin line of green light across the floor. However, the rumbling that shook the entire chamber caught his attention. He shot to his feet and spun around in time to see part of the wall give away and expose a relatively small portal, barely big enough for a demon of his size to squeeze through. He cocked his head to the side slightly in confusion, thinking that maybe some new demons for him to bolster his ranks with were coming through. After a few moments of nothing happening the portal collapsed in on itself, leaving the demon standing in the absolute stillness of his chamber.

The Dread Lord continued to stare at nothing for a few moments longer before shrugging to himself and turning to the only minion in the room. Just as he was about to demand the female Night Elf be brought before him, he heard a sharp bark behind him, just a single word in a language he didn't know.

Dread Lord Banehollow didn't have time to turn around or even scream before his mind was filled with agony as his flesh was suddenly and violently ripped from his bones in shreds, showering everything around him, including his now shocked minion, in blood and bits of flesh.

The satyr blinked in surprise and turned to run. He actually made it a single, full step before the noise repeated itself and he followed his master into the twisting nether.

* * *

Coming through the portal was a bit disorienting, but nothing that Harry wasn't used to. Portkey travel was far worse. What he wasn't used to was the huge, winged, horned _thing_ standing in front of him. He froze, hoping whatever it was couldn't see him under the cloak, or Dobby invisible next to him. After a few seconds of staring, he relaxed and decided to use his skills in _legilimency_ to gather a bit of information. He started cautiously, barely brushing along the creatures mind. Seeing the thing not taking any notice that his thoughts were being invaded, Harry pushed a little deeper, burrowing his way into a completely foreign consciousness. It took him a second that felt far longer to make sense of such a twisted, chaotic mind, but he managed it.

What he found nearly sent him into a rage.

The first thing he found was what the creature was. A Dread Lord. That alone didn't sound good. But a quick review of what the thing had done over the last week and what he was planning to do shortly nearly made Harry pull out of its mind rather violently. Instead he dug a bit deeper, searching for information on the place he now found himself and how many other demons were in the caverns with him. As soon as he found what he was looking for, he withdrew from the Dread Lord's mind and flicked his wrist, shooting the Elder Wand into his hand. He raised his arm slowly so he didn't make a sound or pull on the cloak and expose his feet as the demon turned back around to its minion. Harry knew the perfect spell to use here. A rather violent one that was illegal in his world, but this wasn't his world. It was a quick, but excruciatingly painful spell known as the Flaying Curse.

"Excorio!" Harry barked out viciously, sending the overpowered dark gray spell flying into the demon's back.

The thing exploded in a shower of gore, covering the other demon in the flesh of its master. Harry almost laughed at the look of surprise on the thing's face before it turned to run. He said the spell again, and the second demon went in the same way as the first.

After a quick look around the room to make sure nothing came in while he was dealing with the first two creatures, Harry whipped off the cloak and folded it up, shoving it in his pocket in case he needed it quickly later. Dobby reappeared next to him, eagerly waiting for something to do. Harry turned to his friend and asked, "Dobby, will you keep an eye out down the tunnel and let me know if anyone comes back here?" He didn't really bother looking for confirmation, he knew Dobby would do as he was requested.

Harry turned back and looked around the chamber. There was a table with piles of parchment and books strewn across it, all written in various languages he didn't understand and didn't really have time to translate at the moment. He could do that later when he had some time and a somewhat safe place to stay. He slid his backpack off his shoulders and set it on the ground, reached into a rather large side pocket and pulled out a shrunken empty trunk. Taking care not to rip any of the parchment, he gathered everything up, dropped it in the expanded space, closed the lid and shrunk it back down before shoving it in the pocket that didn't have the cloak in it.

Harry reached into the backpack and pulled out a trunk labeled _'Combat'_. He sighed tiredly as he realized one of the things that caused him to leave his world was the first thing that he encountered in the new one. _Guess I really can't get away from some things_, Harry thought to himself. He dropped the trunk on the ground and for a split-second, he toyed with the idea of just using the cloak to walk right out, but he couldn't bring himself to leave an innocent person at the tender mercies of these creatures.

He enlarged the trunk and opened it, quickly changing from his normal clothes and into the battle armor he enchanted himself. Made out of the hide of the basilisk he killed in his second year, dyed black and trimmed in crimson, it truly was one of a kind. It took him nearly four years to put all the enchantments on it, and he had to severely overpower them _and_ use the Elder Wand to even get them to stay in the runes engraved on each piece instead of immediately dissipating off the magically resistant skin. Just one of those enchantments drained him and left him feeling weak for nearly three days.

There were well over a dozen enchantments on each piece.

He slid the boots on and tugged on the fingerless gloves, pulled the half mask up from around his neck to cover the lower half of his face, and looked himself over, checking to make sure everything was secure. The enchanted and anodized black metal plates over the outside of his forearms, shins, and torso, the smaller plates covering the back of his hands and between the first and second knuckle on each finger, covering his knees and elbows and plating over the toes of his boots, everything had a purpose, either for defense or offense. He holstered a spare wand in each boot and one up his left sleeve, along with a few knives in various places, just in case, checked the various pouches on his armor to make sure his potions and supplies were still there, closed the trunk and shrunk it. He tossed the trunk back in his backpack and slung the backpack over his shoulders, tightening down the straps to keep it secure on his back while he moved.

Turning to Dobby with fire in his eyes, Harry summoned the Sword of Gryffindor from one of his _'Family Heirlooms'_ trunks and into his left hand while tightening his grip on the Elder Wand in his right. Then he issued the first real order to his old friend in a brand new world.

"Dobby! Combat mode."

* * *

Arko'narin was just about to quit trying to listen when she faintly heard a rather sharp noise followed by a wet, squelching sound. He ears twitched and she strained as much as she could when she heard it again before everything went silent. She was about to give up and dismiss it as her imagination when an obviously amplified voice echoed _loudly_ through the tunnels.

"**COME TO YOUR DEATH YOU **_**FUCKING**_** COWARDS!"**

The cackle that followed froze the blood in her veins and her eyes widened in terror. She saw her guards look at each other and a few scrambled for the exit. The others must have decided there was safety in numbers and rushed down the tunnel towards the voice. As the sounds of combat got closer, she started to make out individual words. _Excorio. Sectumsempra. Depulso. Quasso. Slomiti. Incendio._

_Looks like someone is coming to get a new pet. Maybe he'll even collar you and lead you around on a leash.  
_

Arko'narin wrinkled her nose in disgust at that particular image. There was _no_ way she was going to allow _anyone_ to put a collar on her, let alone lead her around on a leash like some kind of animal.

The screams of the dying demons and warlocks echoed in the chamber, causing the female elf to shiver in fear. One such warlock bolted out of the tunnel and towards the exit as fast as his feet would carry him.

Unfortunately that wasn't nearly fast enough.

"Depulso."

She saw a streak of light flash by and hit the Orc square in the back, causing him to rocket forward like he had been shot out of a cannon.

The bloody results as he hit the wall were the same.

Arko'narin turned slowly back to the tunnel in terror. Out of the shadows came a human of all things. soaked in blood and splattered with gore, he carried a sword in one hand and what looked like a simple wand in the other. What she could make out of his armor looked like snake-skin with metal plates across his chest and over his shins and forearms. The lower half of his face was masked from view, giving him a rather sinister look. It was such an odd thing to see a magic user wield a sword and wear anything other than cloth armor that it stood out glaringly in her mind.

_Looks like your new owner has arrived, pet.  
_

She had spent rather little time among humans in her short life, but enough to know a few things. This one she guessed couldn't have been more than twenty, if that, but his eyes terrified her. They were such a vibrant green they almost glowed in the shadows of the cavern, just as a Blood Elf's would. They were the calculating coldness of a warrior that had _dared_ to spit in Death's face more than once and survived the experience every time. The only other feature she could make out under the gore that covered him was the mess of dark hair on his head.

He took in the features of the room before his eyes locked with hers, causing her to unconsciously scramble backwards as far away from him as quickly as she could. He moved toward her slowly with all the balance and grace of an apex predator. Her mind absently noted the similarities between the way he moved and the way a Night Elf Huntress, the absolute elite of the Sentinels, would.

A Huntress would kill to be able to move like that.

"P- Please d- don't hurt me!" She sputtered out quickly in Common, praying to Elune she didn't butcher the phrase in her terror.

She was somewhat startled when he froze mid-step and his eyes widened in surprise for a moment before he chuckled and shook his head.

* * *

"Dobby! Combat mode."

Dobby grinned and snapped his fingers, changing out his normal attire for an identical copy of Harry's battle armor. Standing side-by-side, they looked rather impressive, and more than a little scary. The little elf vanished from view and Harry turned on his aura sight so he could keep track of the little guy and not accidentally send a spell his way.

Harry raised his wand to his throat, cast a _sonorus_ on himself, took a deep breath and bellowed down the tunnel as loudly as he could.

"**COME TO YOUR DEATH YOU **_**FUCKING**_** COWARDS!"**

The rather loud cackle that came from Dobby made Harry chuckle. Dobby always had a way of terrifying anything if he really wanted to. Harry shook his head in amusement as he canceled the _sonorus_ charm and aimed his wand down the tunnel. He slammed his _o__cclumency_ barriers into place and fortified them, effectively removing all trace of emotion from his eyes, leaving them ice-cold. It was a rather simple and easy scare tactic he learned while working at the Department of Mysteries.

_Look_ like a monster, and your enemies will assume you _are_ a monster; and a terrified enemy is one that has already lost.

Harry and Dobby marched down the tunnels listening to the steadily growing _thud_ of feet pounding their way towards the duo. The first enemy to turn the corner and stumble into Harry's line of sight caught an overpowered _sectumsempra_ in the chest, slicing him in half from shoulder to hip and spilling his insides in the dirt all around him. The second was the target of a _slomiti_, a rather vicious bone breaker that shattered every single bone in its body into fragments. He dropped to the ground in a shattered mess, a twisted parody of what he once looked like.

The two fighters moved further down the tunnel and through rooms, never stopping or slowing. They burned, broke, banished, flayed, cut, and hacked their way through anything that attacked them. The tunnels acted as rather effective bottlenecks, funneling the things right into his spells. The rooms were a bit more difficult to clear, and called for some effective and inventive use of apparition and swordsmanship. When the enemies started thinning out, Harry increased the pace. Anything that got too close died at his sword, things that were too far away for that died at wandpoint.

Harry cut one demon in half and banished the top portion into another enemy, interrupting its casting with a scream. The caster was quickly silenced with the sound of shattering bones, and another target started screaming as a gout of flame set it alight. Harry swung his sword downward and apparated to a point across the room half-way through the motion, finishing the swing half-way through a demon's head.

Eventually, Harry saw the last remaining enemy, a large, bald, green humanoid thing, turn and run back down the tunnel, trying in vain to get as far away from the slaughter as fast as possible. Harry simply raised his wand and summoned up enough magic to severely overpower his next spell.

"Depulso." he said calmly, watching as the spell impacted the thing and shot him across the room with the speed of a bullet. It struck the wall with a sickening crunch and left a rather large bloodstain where it hit and a smear as it slid down the wall. The creature landed in a broken heap and twitched as it's body caught up to the fact that it was most definitely dead.

He walked rather calmly out of the tunnel and looked around the room, on one side was a very large feline chained to the wall. He turned his head slowly and saw a cage containing a naked female something on the other side. As his eyes locked with hers she scrambled backwards in terror.

'_Best approach slowly. Don't want to scare her anymore than she already is,'_ Harry thought to himself. He was a few feet away from the cage when she spoke.

"P- Please d- don't hurt me!" She sputtered out in a rather melodious, and heavily accented, voice, causing Harry to freeze mid-step in surprise. He actually didn't think she knew English and was honestly expecting to have to play charades for a bit to get his point across. He chuckled to himself and shook his head. He really should know better than to make assumptions. People had made assumptions about him for his entire life, and he absolutely hated it, and now here he was doing the same. He sighed quietly and slowly advanced the remaining few feet before kneeling down next to the cage and ignoring the rather loud growling coming from the cat on the other side of the room.

Harry pulled the mask down and turned his head to the side. "Dobby, block the entrance and fortify it, we'll stop here and rest for a bit."

Dobby reappeared, causing the woman to gasp in surprise.

"Right away master Harry, sir!" Dobby announced, turning to the tunnel opposite the one they came through and snapped his fingers, causing the earth to rise up and form a wall over the entrance. Two more snaps and the little elf nodded in satisfaction before moving to the center of the room. A few more snaps and a couple of waves of his hands had food summoned out of one of Harry's trunks and cooking over a fire.

While Dobby was working, Harry turned back to the woman and looked her over. She was tall and lithe with curves in _all_ of the right places, flawless light purple skin, long pointed ears, and teal colored hair pulled back in a long braid over her shoulder. What looked like tattoos went from her hairline down over her eyes almost to her jaw line, giving her face a more elongated appearance and drawing attention to both her glowing silver eyes and rather full lips. Even half-starved and covered in grime and Merlin knows what, she was still quite beautiful.

She was staring at Dobby while he was working, jaw hanging open in shock. Harry smiled as he remembered his reaction the first time he had really seen Dobby at work. It was quite similar to hers and brought back some more pleasant memories. He shook his head to clear it and focused back on the woman in front of him. He pulled her attention back to him with a sharp clap, causing her head to snap back around to him, a light blush gracing her cheeks. She seemed to realize her state of undress and quickly brought her knees up to her chest, ducking her head down to try and hide her flushed face.

"Look at me please," Harry said softly, causing her to raise her head and lock eyes with him. He usually frowned on using _legilimency_ in any form on innocent people, but in a brand new world, he wasn't about to risk having someone who might hate humans in general at his back, especially if he didn't know just what they were capable of. He brushed against her mind lightly, just enough to be able to determine if the answer to his next question was truthful. "If I open this cage, are you going to attack me, or have what I'm guessing is your giant cat attack me?"

The woman looked relieved and shook her head, quietly saying, "No, I won't."

Harry could feel the truth behind the statement and held her gaze for just a moment longer before he nodded once and walked around to the front of the cage and hacked the lock off with his sword. He grabbed the door and swung it open, gesturing for the woman to come out. She stood up slowly, arms wrapped around her chest to protect what little modesty she had left. She was only able to take a few steps before her legs gave out and she collapsed right into Harry, nearly taking them both down.

Harry just barely held his balance as she crashed against him, wrapping one arm around her shoulders and one around her waist to keep her standing. He ignored her tensing up and kept one arm around her shoulders, bringing the other down behind her knees and picked her up bridal style. "Dobby, could you get a bath ready?" he said to his little friend.

Dobby nodded once and a few seconds later there was a wooden tub filled with warm water near the fire. Harry carried her over and slowly set her in the bath, trying to keep his arms out of the liquid and not get any of the gore that was covering him in the clean water. Once she was in and comfortable he walked over to the large feline, intending to set it free as well. He stopped, however, when it growled at him.

"It's okay Karri," the woman said soothingly in the direction of her companion. The cat looked over at Harry for a long moment before settling and letting him approach.

Harry looked over the collar, checking for any traps or hidden spells. It became routine for him to do after one mission where the collars around some prisoners necks were rigged to explode if anyone tampered with them. He didn't find that out until after he had used an unlocking charm on the first one, making it blow up and causing the poor bastard wearing it to just end at the torso. Once he was satisfied there wasn't anything like that on this one, he pointing his wand at it and whispered the unlocking charm, letting the chains fall away from its neck. Karri immediately ran over to its master and nuzzled against her hand, purring away.

Harry stretched and sighed, trying to work the tightness out of his neck and shoulders. Not even two hours in a brand new world and he was already back in combat, covered in gore, and rescuing people.

_I guess some things always stay the same,_ Harry thought as he shook his head and chuckled to himself.

After a few cleaning charms on his and Dobby's armor to get the majority of the blood and gore off of them, Harry decided now would be a good time to go through the papers he had taken from deeper in the caves since he had someone here who might be able to answer his questions and put some of the information into context for him. His shoulders slumped and he sighed as he came to the realization that he was going to have to learn much, _much_ more about this world quicker than he had originally thought.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts and focus on the matter at hand. He pulled the trunk out of his pocket, set it on the ground next to the fire and enlarged it, startling the woman in the bath. He chuckled a bit at her wide-eyed expression and sat down next to the trunk, opened the lid, pulled out a stack of parchment and started casting translation charms on them. Once he was done, he began sifting through them, looking for obvious key words and bits that looked or sounded important. The papers turned out to be plans, notes about some upcoming attacks and movements of the demons. He had no idea where these places were, but they seemed important. One paper in particular caught his attention. It was a rather detailed plan to assassinate someone by the name Tyrande Whisperwind.

From the report he was reading and the lack of wear present on the paper compared to the others, it was very recent. The paper gave the names of the agents placed around the target, and the expected time frame in which the attack would happen. Luckily, the agents weren't having the best of luck getting near the target and getting her somewhat alone, and it looked like the agents were still weeks away from completing their mission. Harry figured he might as well get some information before deciding if it was something he wanted to pursue personally instead of passing it off to someone in a position of authority and letting them handle it.

"What's your name?" Harry asked the woman in the bath.

"Arko'narin Ravenstar," she replied, slightly distracted with the task of washing the filth and grime from her body.

"I'm Harry Potter," he replied, his eyes never leaving the paper he was studying. "Who is Tyrande Whisperwind and what can you tell me about her?"

Arko'narin was surprised by the question. Everyone on Azeroth had at least heard the name, and knew she was the leader of the Night Elf people. "She is the leader of the Night Elves. How do you not know this?"

"Consider me to have lived under a rock my entire life. Assume I'm absolutely ignorant about everything in this world and go from there. It will make things simpler," he said, never looking away from the paper he was holding in front of him.

Arko'narin gathered her thoughts and said, "Tyrande Whisperwind is the High Priestess of Elune, and leads the Night Elves alongside Malfurion Stormrage. She is compassionate and wise, and will do anything to protect her people."

"So it's safe it say she's a rather important figure," Harry said, turning and looking at her with an intensity that made her shiver despite the warm water. "And an assassination attempt against her implicating an allied race would lead to chaos."

Arko'narin's blood froze and her eyes widened in horror at the obvious results such an action would have. "Such an act would shatter the Alliance. Tyrande has always been suspicious of outsiders in general, and Malfurion will act swiftly and _viciously_ in the wake of an attack on his beloved."

Harry nodded and replied, "I figured the results would be pretty extensive. It's still a few weeks away from even being able to be attempted though, so you should have time to get there and pass this information along to the necessary people."

Arko'narin sighed in relief at having enough time to stop the attempt on Tyrande's life, then looked confused at the rest of his statement. "Don't you mean 'we'? Surely you would want recognition for a discovery you made, correct?"

Harry shook his head and stated, "Considering Humans are the ones that are going to be implicated in this and I know nothing of their history or politics, I don't want to be seen as a representative of a race I might disagree with in general." he chuckled to himself and continued, "Besides, all I really want is to find somewhere quiet and not have to worry about anything more pressing than what I'll have for dinner."

Arko'narin snorted humorlessly and retorted, "Then you had best go crawl back beneath that rock you have been living under. The state of Azeroth recently won't allow such a simple life for anyone. At the very least you will have to worry about bandits and raiders, and depending on where you decide to settle, the races of the Horde will simply attack you on sight for being of an Alliance race too close to their territory, no matter if you represent them or not."

Harry sighed in exasperation and massaged his temples. "I just want to be a nobody. Is that really too much to ask?"

"With your skills? Yes, it is," Arko'narin responded quickly with a grin. "_You_ will invariably make a name for yourself and draw the attention of people in power, and _they_ will invariably want you to fight in their name. Now, could you turn your back and let me get dressed?"

Harry turned away and went back to reading the documents strewn around him. He heard her get out of the bath and pad across the chamber, followed by the sounds of armor being buckled on and adjusted. After a few minutes he heard her walk back over to the fire and sit down nearby. He turned back and passed a stack of parchments to her, saying, "See if anything here is useful. Anything outdated or inaccurate should be kept separate."

Arko'narin pursed her lips and glared at him ordering her around as of she were some new recruit. She snatched the papers out of his hands and looked at the them. "These are written in common," she stated in confusion. Demons used their own language, they never had reports written in any other language.

Harry simply shrugged and replied, "Translation charms are quite useful. It'll revert back into whatever language it was written in a few hours."

Arko'narin looked surprised that such magic existed, she had never heard of such a thing before. She looked through the papers, sorting out the relevant things and setting the ones about events that had already happened off to the side.

They continued sorting in a comfortable silence for a while before Dobby popped into existence and use his magic to serve up three bowls of the stew, floating two of them over to the pair. Harry set the stack of papers in his hand down next to him and immediately started eating. Arko'narin took the hovering bowl gingerly and was mildly surprised at just how good it smelled, then again that could simply be because she hadn't had anything but bits of stale bread and what scraps her captors had literally thrown into her cage, treating her as if she were a pet. She ate greedily, finishing much quicker than Harry and eying the rest of the stew with longing.

Dobby saw this and simply grinned, refilling her bowl with a snap of his fingers.

Arko'narin looked over at Dobby and asked a question that had bothered her since he had appeared next to Harry. "I've never heard of a people such as yourself, Dobby. What are you exactly? You look a bit similar to the Goblins."

She didn't expect the rather terrifying scowl to pass over his face, or to hear Harry laugh uproariously at her statement, tears of mirth forming in his eyes. Harry looked over at Dobby and said between giggles, "Dobby, the House-Goblin!" Dobby's scowl intensified before he suddenly grinned viciously at Harry and snapped his fingers.

Harry yelped as his legs shot up above his head, leaving him dangling in mid-air by his ankle. Dobby grinned victoriously and calmly continued eating, leaving Harry hanging, quite literally.

Harry crossed his arms and tried to look intimidating as he said, "Dobby, let me down." The attempt failed as the blood rushing to his head simply made him look like a talking tomato attached to a body. After a few moments of being ignored, Harry sighed and stated flatly, "I'm sorry for comparing an intelligent and honorable House-Elf such as yourself to the race of stupid, dirty, scheming, Goblin vermin."

Dobby eyed Harry with suspicion for a moment and then snapped his fingers, releasing Harry and sending him crashing to the ground.

Arko'narin simply watched the chain of events in shock.

Harry righted himself and brushed himself off before sitting down and calmly answering Arko'narin's question. "House-Elves are a servant race. They form a symbiotic bond with a person or place if there's enough ambient magic to sustain the bond. They siphon off a small portion of magic through the bond and in return usually act as butlers or maids to the person or place they're bonded to. Without the bond a house-elf would go insane and die in a few years. Dobby here bonded to me right after I helped free him from his old master when I was twelve, although I didn't know that until about five years later." Harry thought for a second before adding, "Oh, and you may have noticed, but it's rather unwise to compare a house-elf to a goblin."

Dobby simply nodded vehemently at this statement.

Harry and Dobby packed everything up and pulled their half-masks up, and Harry summoned his sword to his left hand and flicked the Elder Wand from its holster on his forearm into the other. "Ready to get out of here?"

Arko'narin hesitated a moment before asking, "Did you happen to see the body of a human male towards the back of the tunnels? He was my partner, and I don't really feel comfortable leaving his body behind to be twisted and used by the demons and warlocks."

"I wasn't really looking for dead bodies when I came through, I was more concerned with making them," Harry said softly. "We can go look now though. Dobby, guard the entrance, make sure nothing comes in at our backs."

Harry walked back down the tunnels, checking the alcoves and chambers as he went. Arko'narin followed silently, shocked at the level of violence that her rescuer must have displayed before reaching her. Very few of the bodies they passed were whole, and the ones that were looked horribly disfigured, as if every bone in their body had been broken multiple times or they had been rocketed into walls at disturbingly high speeds. Some were simply skeletons surrounded by chunks and strips of flesh and pools of blood. She covered her mouth, trying to fend off being sick and considered the wisdom in eating before attempting this. She had never seen such a level of violence before. Even most demons didn't display quite this level of brutality in combat to their enemies. She looked back at the man that had rescued her and quickly reevaluated her initial impressions of him.

It was the second to last chamber before she saw Trey's body. She ran over and dropped to her knees next to his corpse, her shoulders shaking violently with the sobs that wracked her lithe frame. Harry walked over to her slowly and placed a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. She was so distracted she didn't notice him remove his hand and slide his bag off, setting it on the ground so he could dig through it.

Harry pulled an empty trunk out of his bag and enlarged it before opening the lid slowly. He walked over and picked up the remains of her partner, gently and carefully placing his body in the trunk, closed the lid, and shrunk it back down. He picked up the trunk, now about the size of a deck of cards, set it in her hand and gently closed her fingers around it. He knelt in front of her, reached out slowly and put a finger under her chin, lifting her tear-streaked face to look him in the eyes.

"I know you're distraught, and I know how you feel, but we still have to get out of here," Harry said gently before hardening his gaze and continuing in a steely voice, "So we will cut our way through them and make them pay in blood for every second of pain they've caused."

Arko'narin sniffed and nodded, wiped the tears from her eyes and stood. She slid the trunk into a pouch on her belt and drew her sword, steeling herself for battle. "Let's go."

Harry nodded and they both walked back to the chamber side-by-side, ready to return the pain the demons had caused tenfold.

Once they were back in the chamber and in front of the wall of earth that was covering the way out, Harry turned to her and said, "They're probably going to be bunched up on the other side of this wall, so let me cast a spell to clear the way a bit before we advance."

Arko'narin nodded once and turned back to face where she knew the exit was. Harry raised his wand and pointed it at the block of earth in front of them, took a deep breath, and nodded to Dobby, who immediately vanished the barricade with a snap. The second it disappeared, Harry cast his spell.

"Incendio."

Arko'narin watched the gout of white-hot fire engulf the first three enemies in the tunnel before Harry cut off the flame with a flick of his wrist. The sudden immolation caused those on fire to panic and run away, inadvertently setting a few more of their allies on fire as they crashed into them in a vain effort to get away and extinguish themselves. The stench of seared flesh filled her nostrils as she let out a roar, charging into the first enemy in line and knocking him backwards and off his feet. She swung downwards and cleaved the Orc's head in half as a jet of light shot by her and struck a human warlock, causing him to stop casting as he vomited his intestines and fell to the ground dead.

A second spell hit the now exposed entrails, and Arko'narin briefly wondered if Harry had missed. Suddenly and to her horror, the intestines wriggled and shot towards two enemies that were close together, wrapping around their necks and squeezing tightly, slowly suffocating them. The two warlocks struggled and tried to pry them off, but their hands couldn't get a grip on the slippery and wriggling organs.

Arko'narin continued to cut and hack her way to the exit and tried to not pay too much attention to the enemies Harry killed. She wasn't sure she could see the effects of some of his magic without needing to fight the urge to be sick as well. She couldn't really say much though, she had long ago come to relish the grinding sound when she separated a demon's head from its shoulders, as well as the resistance and shuddering vibrations that ran through her claymore when she cut through bone, but it still didn't feel as violent as seeing a spell hit an Orc and the Orc explode in a deluge of blood and flesh to leave a skeleton standing there for a second before falling apart.

While Arko'narin was slicing warlocks and satyrs and demons apart, Harry was casting furiously, Dobby was flinging demons and warlocks around into each other and into the walls at disturbingly high speeds, and Karri was even helping, pouncing on enemy after enemy, clawing and biting at them until they were most definitely dead before moving on to the next. The four advanced rapidly toward the exit, leaving bodies and rivers of blood behind them. Arko'narin and Harry reached the exit and were momentarily blinded by the sudden change in lighting, but they shook it off quickly and looked around. Outside Shadow Hold was crawling with enemies, far too many for the quickly tiring party to fight their way through.

She heard Harry sigh beside her before saying, "Dobby, follow with Karri. Arko'narin, this is going to be uncomfortable and disorienting, but it's the quickest way for us to get away clean. Don't drop your sword."

With that, Harry's sword disappeared and he gripped her bare arm tightly, just below her pauldrons and above her elbow. The next sensation felt like she was being tightly compressed and forcefully shoved through a rather small tube, and suddenly she was on the other side of the corrupted moonwell, down the hill and just before the curve leading to Shadow Hold. Again and again it happened, taking them further and further away from the hell where she had been captured. A few more jumps and they were standing on the main road through Felwood, Dobby popping in with Karri just a few seconds after.

"Which way," Harry said quickly, not taking his eyes away from the direction of Jaedenar and Shadow Hold. Nothing had followed them down yet, but that was sure to change very quickly. Arko'narin just pointed south, not trusting her ability to speak without vomiting what little was in her stomach. Harry glanced down the road and nodded, rapidly popping the two of them away once more.

She barely had enough time to catch her breath between the nauseating and truly disorienting sensation of disappearing from one place to reappear in the next second somewhere else. She squeezed her eyes shut to block out the rapidly changing scenery and just hoped it would be over soon. She had seen mages do this, albeit on a much smaller scale and never this quickly. Once upon a time she would have called such an act lazy, but if it felt even a fraction like this, she'd never say such a thing again. It would take some serious strength of will to not vomit _and_ still keep moving despite the disorientation as they were prone to do, especially in battle.

The second Harry released her arm and said they were far enough away, Arko'narin opened her eyes and stumbled drunkenly off the side of the road before dropping heavily to her hands and knees and heaving what little was in her stomach. She absently felt Harry kneel beside her and pull her braid back out of her face while rubbing her back soothingly. She finished retching and spit, trying to get the taste of bile out of her mouth.

She sat back on her heels and breathed deeply and slowly. She looked around and was surprised at where they were, by the river just east of the Ruins of Constellas. They had covered more than forty miles in just a few moments. Karri was laying on her side and groaning in the middle of the road with Dobby sitting next to her. Apparently her feline companion wasn't fond of that method of travel either. She turned to say something and was startled when Harry handed her a large glass of clean water. Clean water in an actual glass container in the middle of Felwood! Arko'narin just shook her head and took the glass from him, using the first two mouthfuls to wash the taste of vomit from her mouth before draining the rest of it, pulling the now empty glass away from her lips with a satisfied sigh. She handed the glass back to him and watched him wave his wand at it, vanishing it into nothingness right in front of her eyes, as if it had never existed in the first place. She resolved then and there to try her best not to be shocked by anything else he did.

She doubted she would succeed, but she would damn sure try not to let it show.

She was about to say something to him when he interrupted, "Best check yourself over and make sure you didn't leave any parts behind. Splinching is a risk when you get side-alonged like that. Even knew a guy who got to his destination with his feet attached to the wrong legs once."

Her face took on an absolutely horrified expression and she patted herself down and checked herself over frantically for missing or incorrectly attached parts. She looked back up at him in panic to see him holding one hand over his mouth and his other arm around his stomach, his shoulders shaking violently with the effort of holding in his laughter. She simply scowled and punched him hard in the arm. Twice.

Harry backed up a step and held his hands up in front of him in a pacifying gesture before saying, "I'm sorry, but its something like a right of passage under the rock I'm from. The same thing was said to me right after my first time traveling by side-along apparition. Made me just as mad, but Merlin I can see why it's always done. The look on your face was absolutely hilarious!" Harry chuckled again and continued, "Besides, it took your mind off of how uncomfortable it was didn't it?"

Her eyes widened in surprise as she realized Harry was right. Her horror at the thought of losing a body part followed by her anger at his attempt at humor completely overrode the discomfort she felt at that particular method of travel.

Harry's shoulders slumped and his eyes lost their humor to expose just how exhausted he was. He sighed and said, "Well, at least you won't have to travel like that again any time soon. I think I might have overdone it a bit." With that his eyes rolled back into his head and he toppled over to the side. The last thing he was aware of was Arko'narin saying his name in panic as she caught him before he crashed into the ground.

_You let him die! He helped you and you killed him!_

* * *

**Spells mentioned for future reference. Additions may come later:**

_Excorio_ – Latin - Flaying curse that shreds the flesh away from the target's bones, leaving a skeleton behind and showering the immediate area in bits and strips of flesh.

_Sectumsempra_ – Latin derivative – Cutting curse that requires a relatively little amount of energy compared to the damage done.

_Depulso_ – Latin – Charm that transfers the magical energy in the spell into a physical force that pushes the target in whatever direction the spell is traveling.

_Quasso_ – Latin – Bone breaking curse that only affects a specific area, but shatters the bones in that area into small fragments.

_Slomiti_ – Croatian - Bone breaker that affects the entire body, not just the area hit.

_Incendio_ – Latin – Charm that produces fire in proportion to the amount of power put into the spell.

_Sonorus_ – Latin Derivative – Sound amplifying charm

_Alohamora_ – Unknown – Unlocking charm

_animandum_ – Latin – Animating charm used on anything organic.

_izbaci crijeva_ – Croatian – Intestine expelling curse


	3. Questions and Answers

**Disclaimer:**

I don't own anything related to the rights of Harry Potter or Warcraft.

**Author's Note:**

This is a BRAND NEW CHAPTER! If you haven't yet read the new chapter two, please go back now and read it, otherwise you might be a bit lost as to what's going on. Also, let me know if I did 'terrifying Harry' justice. It was a part that just flowed out, but it's also the one that took the most out of me to write.

Also, while this story does take place just after the start of _Cataclysm_ and the return of Deathwing, I'm going to be making some changes, one of the biggest is that Arthas was never defeated and is still the Lich King. Some people might not like it, but I have grand designs for Arthas. I also really want to write a knock-down drag-out between Arthas and Harry, The Lich King vs. The Master of Death.

**(Feb. 6th, 2013)** - Added some things and cleared some things up. It's nothing major that you truly _need_ to read, but some of it is amusing and some others clarify things, along with a bit of character development that I may mildly refer back to later on in the story.

**(Mar. 18th, 2013)** - More minor edits.

**(Aug. 20th, 2013)** - Reworked and tweaked.

Side-note: plums can really hammer down when it comes to constructive critiquing and seems to demand excellence in a story, which is _exactly_ want I want this story to be, so _thank you_ for making this story a better one than it was originally. Quite a few of the improvements that this story has undergone are thanks to plums :-).

No Beta, so all mistakes are my own.

**Publish Date:** Jan. 31st, 2013

**Update Date:** Aug. 20th, 2013

* * *

**Chapter Three**

Questions and Answers

**Emerald Sanctuary, Felwood**

The time since Harry had fallen unconscious had been the longest and most infuriating two days of Arko'narin's life. Beginning with the circus that was her debriefing, being all but laughed out of the room for needing a _human_ to rescue her and being flat out _told_ she was a worthless excuse for a Night Elf, let alone a Sentinel, the confiscation of all of Harry's belongings, having her mentor and best friend ordered to interrogate Harry and cut his throat immediately and without hesitation if he even _looked_ like he _might_ twitch in a manner that _could be_ construed as aggressive, him being in a room that was locked from the outside and guarded, and all of her requests to get him at least looked over by a healer to make sure nothing was wrong were denied immediately as 'a waste of resources on a _lowly human_' and that if he died they wouldn't even spend the _time_ to _bury_ him, just drag his corpse out into the woods and leave it for the wolves and the bears and the scavengers. The only reason they left him in his armor was because no one could get it off of him.

She absolutely _hated_ Captain Arathandris Silversky.

_It wouldn't be that difficult to kill her, you know.  
_

Arko'narin shook her head and ignored the little voice in the back of her mind that was slowly gaining strength.

The only part of the last two days that made her smile was the memory of watching the captain try and open Harry's backpack, only to have it grow six-inch long, razor-sharp teeth and nearly take the captain's hand off, then grow _legs_ and chase after Silversky, snapping at her heels the entire way. The captain tried to fight it at first, but it was far quicker than it really should have been or had any right to be, and it would also simply disappear, only to reappear and attack her from a different angle, sometimes even from above.

By the time the teeth and legs went away, Captain Silversky had been trapped on top of her desk for nearly two hours, and the bag had gnawed through two of the legs on that particular piece of furniture in an effort to unbalance the would-be thief and send her tumbling down to the ground where it could gnaw on _her _legs. The captain hadn't been able to get much of her paperwork done there anymore because everything kept sliding off the side. Quite a bit of her paperwork had been shredded as well, forcing her to redo everything from memory.

After that, the captain had the bag thrown in a room, locked the door, and had that room guarded as well.

And now here Arko'narin was, arguing with the guards outside the door to the building Harry was in, trying to convince them that _yes_ they deserved a small break, _no_ she wasn't trying to smuggle the unconscious man out of Emerald Sanctuary, _no_ she didn't think she knew better than the captain (yes she did, she just wouldn't say it as it wouldn't help her), and _no_ she wouldn't report them for leaving their posts.

It took nearly half an hour to get them to leave for a bit, and Arko'narin stormed into the building, cursing in her native tongue about _bitch captains_ that could go do things with filthy, corrupted animals because even the Furbolgs wouldn't touch her with _someone else's_ genitals and detailing the rather unflattering ancestry of _certain captains_ that included Trolls, Gnolls, Murlocs, Ogres, livestock, and females of rather questionable professions that had reputations that mothers warned their daughters about, _all_ with genetic disfigurements and horrible diseases.

* * *

Harry regained consciousness but kept his breathing even and his body still. Two decades of training and numerous intentional captures left him with the ability to feign sleep to gather information. People usually talked more freely if they believed the person they were guarding was unaware. One tyrant he went after had the audacity to outline his entire scheme to take over France in excruciatingly boring detail.

Harry made sure he paid for that.

He took what stock he could of his surroundings. The blanket on him was heavy, and the bed was soft, indicating his comfort was likely a concern. He could just barely make out two arguing female voices, and they didn't have the echoing quality to them that indicated a dungeon or prison, so he wasn't in a cell, but still probably in an enclosed space. He wasn't tied down or otherwise restrained, so most likely not a prisoner. They even left him in his armor.

All in all, one of the better ways to wake up in a strange place.

He took a few moments to reinforce his _occlumency_ shields and sort through what he remembered before losing consciousness to try and figure out why he had dropped like a stone. Coming through the portal, meeting Arko'narin, recovering her partner's body, fighting their way out of the caverns, and quite a bit of rapid line-of-sight apparition with a passenger. He always hated that kind of apparition, especially for rapid movement. Standing around and physically looking for a spot to jump to bothered him in general, and fighting through the disorientation to do it quickly really battered at his _occlumency_ shields. It was also more draining because you had to send a tiny bit of your magic out ahead of you on every jump as a sort of 'scout' to make sure you didn't crash into anything, or misjudge the distance and end up apparating half into a wall, and use your magic to make those small adjustments mid-jump.

Too much magic use over a short period of time. Simple overexertion and a drained core, and his forced rest had pretty much fixed that problem. Once he got some food in him, he'd be back up to one hundred percent. Harry was about to start pretending to wake up when he heard a female voice he didn't recognize filled with humor from right next to him.

"You're quite good at feigning sleep. I almost didn't notice at first. Almost."

Harry kept his eyes closed and said with a smile, "Guess my training is slipping then."

He heard the woman snort in humor next to him before saying, "I've had centuries to learn when someone is faking it, you're not even truly out of your teens yet."

Harry chuckled and opened his eyes. The building he was in was just one room, with a bed, dresser, desk, and chair as the only furnishings. It was simplistic but rather homey and had a comfortable feel to it. He sat up quickly stretched, looking over at the woman. "I may not have centuries of learning, but I'm well out of my teens by human standards." The woman was seated in a chair next to his bed, one long leg crossed over the other and one arm thrown behind the back of the chair. He skin was paler than Arko'narin's, almost white with just the barest hint of purple, her shoulder-length white hair was loose, framing her face and she had the same kind of facial tattoos that Arko'narin had, just a vibrant purple instead of teal. Her armor was lighter and more flexible, hinting at the fact that she wasn't really an up-close fighter. The bow leaning against the wall next to her looked to have much more use than the dagger strapped to the small of her back, reinforcing that fact.

He looked at the bow again and noticed it was carved for a right-handed person, but the bow was currently on her left, and the dagger he could just see the hilt of was arranged to be drawn with the left hand as well. Harry blinked once and turned on his aura sight, causing the woman's eyes to widen slightly as his eyes began to glow intensely. He looked at the bow and dagger once more, noticing the tell-tale glow of enchantments, as well as a glow that matched her sheathed dagger just behind the back of the chair, obviously hidden from normal view. She hadn't attacked him the moment he woke up, and he didn't really feel like a prisoner, so he figured she was just being cautious, something he was guilty of doing frequently. He'd let it go for now, no need to upset the locals. He noticed an invisible Dobby sitting patiently in the corner, he had likely been there the entire time Harry had been unconscious.

He blinked off his aura sight and smiled at the woman. "I'm Harry Potter by the way. Do you happen to know how long I've been out?"

She smiled back and replied, "I am Jessir Moonbow, and you have been out for two days. Arko was rather distraught when she brought you here, she was babbling and didn't make much sense at first." Jessir chuckled and shook her head before continuing, "Such is youth. However, she did manage to tell us that you rescued her from Shadow Hold, so thank you for that. I am not sure what I would have done if I had lost both of my friends to those _things_." The way she spit out that word left no room to misinterpret just how much she hated demons in general. Jessir's face took on a confused expression as she continued, "She also insisted that she had Trey's body with her, but she was unable to get to it until you had awoken. And that you were quite kind, but terribly dangerous if provoked."

Harry just nodded and said, "She wouldn't have the knowledge to do what was needed, and even if she did, it's protected. Only I can open it. If you can get her or take me to her then I'll take care of it now." He completely ignored the 'dangerous' comment.

As if she knew she was being talked about, Arko'narin stormed into the one room building, ranting in a musical language he didn't understand, but it sounded to him like a cross between Arabic and French. Whatever was being said made Jessir blush quite a bit and snap something out at Arko'narin. He didn't know what Jessir said, but he could almost hear Hermione saying _'Harry, language!'_ in his head when she said it, causing him to laugh out loud, drawing the attention of both women.

Harry just shook his head and looked over at Arko'narin. "Mind telling those of us that don't understand your language what has you so angry?" He asked with a smile. "Oh, and let me see the trunk I gave you, I'll go ahead and get it opened."

Arko'narin sighed and avoided the question, carefully pulling out the shrunken trunk and handing it to Harry, causing Jessir to raise her eyebrow in curiosity. Harry stood and set it on the ground on front of him before patting himself down to find the Elder Wand.

Arko'narin must have known what he was looking for and told him, "They took all your things, including your wand. Your bag is currently under guard across the camp and the Captain has your wand." She said flatly. Suddenly she smirked and continued in a more upbeat tone, "Captain Silversky was quite angry that she received a nasty shock when your bag grew teeth and almost took her hand off when she tried to open it. It chased her around for quite a while."

Harry chuckled in amusement and shook his head. "That's actually one of the minor defenses. She should be glad she's not in a coma right now." Harry held out his hand and wandlessly summoned his things to him. He heard a door crash open and panicked voices from across the camp as his bag flew through the open door and into his hand. He slung the bag over his shoulders and focused on the Elder Wand, calling it back from the possession of Captain Silversky. It appeared in his hand and he wave it at the trunk, enlarging it back to its original size. He knelt down and opened the trunk, moving away from it so that Jessir and Arko'narin could do what they needed with the body. He could always summon the trunk back to him later.

A tall Night Elf stormed in at that moment with two guards behind her. Harry assumed this was the Captain Silversky that was mentioned earlier. She scowled at Harry and practically screamed, "I demand you relinquish your possessions! You will submit and be taken to Darnassus for interrogation!"

Harry blinked once before completely turning his back on her to face Jessir and Arko'narin. "Is she serious? I do her job for her and she wants to try to arrest me for it? Talk about being an ungrateful bitch." Jessir and Arko'narin snorted and failed to smother their chuckles at that.

"Now, boy!" Captain Silversky roared in rage as she drew her sword. Harry, hearing the sound of a blade being pulled from its sheath, apparated behind her and the two guards just as the captain's sword swung through where he had been. The captain spun around to continue her attack and froze in terror at the sight before her.

Harry didn't take too kindly to being attacked on the best of days, but being told to submit to _anything_ and then being attacked just sent him back to being fourteen years old, exhausted and injured and standing in a graveyard and _surrounded_ by laughing Death Eaters and _forced_ to bow to the _thing_ he hated with every fiber of his being and completely unprepared for the fight he _knew_ was about to come, and being called boy just reminded him of his uncle and the beatings and the whippings and the burns and the pain and the broken bones and the blood and the terror of the next time.

They were all memories he had never been able to completely remove himself from, no matter how hard he tried. Both in such a short period of time was a bit overwhelming to say the least.

Back then, he was too young and his magic hadn't matured, his aura was practically non-existent. The only time it had truly manifested in any form during his school years was at the end of his fifth year, being told the prophecy and proceeding to wreck Dumbledore's office to pieces. Nowadays, Harry kept a tight hold on his aura, he had to or his strong emotions would cause it to flare into the visible spectrum and let everyone know how he felt, and that was usually _not_ a good thing.

Right now he simply let go of his hold on it completely, letting it flare brightly.

Harry dropped his shields completely and brought up all those memories to the front of his mind, which wasn't that hard considering they were already almost there anyway because of the captains words and actions. Remembering the rage and righteous anger and pain and terror and exhaustion that he felt in the graveyard and the Headmaster's office and back on Privet Drive, immersing himself in it, _drowning _himself in it, letting it flow and feed into his now visible aura and project his emotions for all to see. The two guards panicked and fumbled for their swords, but Harry banished one into the other before they could even get a grip on the hilts, sending both guards crashing into the far wall and to the ground in a tangled heap, his eyes never leaving the Captain's.

Captain Arathandris Silversky was more than five hundred years old. She had fought in the Third war. She was there at the Battle of Mount Hyjal. She had seen the terrors Demons inflicted. She had spent years in the Plaguelands. She had witnessed the horrors of the Scourge. She was a combat-hardened verteran.

And she was absolutely terrified.

The man before her, his eyes glowing brightly, appeared to be completely engulfed and consumed in pure emerald flames with great swirls of crimson and cobalt and violet and gold and black all flowing through it, terrible and horrible and overwhelming and _suffocating_ _power_ rolling off him in waves. He was something out of a nightmare.

No, he was something that _created_ nightmares.

The captain took a quick and shaky step backwards, tripping over her own feet and sending her crashing to the ground and scrambling backwards and into the wall behind her, eyes wide in horror. Harry advanced on her slowly, letting his boots _thud_ loudly on the floor with every step forward, his whisper carrying and echoing around the room as if he were yelling as loudly as he could. "You _dare_ to attack me from behind, coward? I _am not_ one of your soldiers. I _am not_ one of your people. You attempted to invade my privacy. You attempted to make me a _prisoner_. You have done _nothing_ to earn my respect." His aura flared brighter, swirled faster as he roared, "_You do not get to tell me to submit! You do not get to call me BOY!_"

Jessir's eyes never left Harry's. The look in them was something she had seen in her own reflection quite often in recent years. It was the look of someone trapped in their own horrifying memories, and at just shy of a thousand years old, Jessir had quite a few of those. She absently remembered him saying he was well out his teenage years and she had thought at first that he was joking. Seeing his eyes now, she wondered just how far out those years he really was.

Arko'narin saw the absolute terror on the captain's face, and the fact that Jessir had actually dropped her weapon and backed up onto the bed, huddled with her knees drawn up tightly to her chest in the corner against the headboard and her eyes wide and unblinking. Arko'narin steeled herself for what she knew could very well be a horrible idea and lead to an agonizingly painful death, but if she didn't the results would be absolutely disastrous for everyone.

She took a deep breath and strode quickly over to Harry, idly seeing Dobby rush forward to try and stop her. She briefly wondered why the House-Elf didn't use magic, but dismissed the thought when she reached Harry. She wrapped one arm tightly around his and the other around the front of his waist, holding him to her and keeping him from advancing any further towards the captain. Arko'narin may have truly hated the captain, but she didn't think that any one person really deserved having this kind of power and rage focused solely on them. This close to Harry, she could feel every emotion flooding through him and into his aura, and she wondered how someone who looked so young could feel so much so _intensely_. She closed her eyes, pressed her forehead against the side of his head and whispered to him, "_Please_, Harry, stop this, you've made your point. You're scaring us. You're scaring _me_."

She felt Harry go completely stiff in her arms, not attempting to move any further. She heard him take a deep breath and hold it for a second before releasing it slowly, repeating the action two more times. She opened her eyes and watched in fascination as his aura slowed and calmed before starting to fade.

"Get out," she heard him hiss at Captain Silversky. Arko'narin watched the captain immediately scramble to comply, fleeing the room with her two guard right on her heels. Arko'narin looked back at Harry and asked softly, "Are you okay, Harry?"

"Is _he_ okay?!" Jessir exclaimed, not quite believing her long, pointed ears. "He just about killed us all and you want to know if _he_ is okay?!"

Arko'narin felt Harry tense and flinch back in her arms after Jessir said that. The glare Arko'narin shot at her caused Jessir's eyes to widen and her jaw to snap shut with an audible click. Arko'narin turned back to Harry just in time to see his face go completely expressionless. "I shouldn't have let my shields down, shouldn't have lost control like that. Won't happen again," Harry said flatly, completely devoid of emotion.

When Harry said that, it made her feel like she just lost a battle that she didn't even know she was fighting until it was already over. And she didn't even know why.

* * *

The captain had kept well away from the building Harry had been in all day. Everyone could see the fear on her face whenever she looked over that way. No one knew what happened inside, but everyone had felt the power and rage rolling out of the building in torrents. Most of the Night Elves silently congratulated the stranger that had cowed the captain they all disliked. Silversky made it a point on her arrival to tell everyone that she was there on orders directly from Lady Tyrande.

Most believed the High Priestess sent her away to keep herself from putting an arrow through Silversky's throat.

Inside the small building, Arko'narin and Jessir were giving Harry lessons about Azeroth and it's people. He absorbed information and came to rather accurate conclusions at a rate that astonished the two Night Elves. When asked about it, Harry simply shrugged and said, "Humans don't have thousands of years to learn things like you do. We have under a century, so we have to make every moment we have count, otherwise we blink and wonder where our lives went." That one statement seemed to answer quite a few questions about why Humans acted the way they did, always rushing, always pushing forward, and why they seemed to have no patience.

They had covered the Alliance races of the Humans, who built their city Stormwind in Elwynn Forest, the Dwarves and Gnomes who carved their city of Ironforge into the mountains of Dun Morogh, the Night Elves and recently the Worgen who made their home in the great tree Darnassus, and The Exodar, the city-ship that brought the Draenei people to the world of Azeroth.

The Horde races of the Orcs, trolls, and Goblins, building their city in the deserts of Durotar, the Blood Elves, living in their near ruined and rebuilt Silvermoon City in Eversong Woods, The Tauren of Thunder Bluff on the plains of Mulgore, and the Forsaken under the ruined city of Lordaeron.

The Demons of Outland, the destroyed homeworld of the Orcs and a home for the Draenei once, and Northrend, the home of Arthas the Lich King and the Scourge, held quite a bit of interest for Harry. He still couldn't figure out why the Alliance and the Horde continued to fight wars on so many fronts. They were just overextending themselves and making things that much more difficult.

It took a while for Jessir to calm down and start becoming somewhat comfortable with Harry, and by that evening she was acting more like she had when Harry had first woken up. Arko'narin had been pressed against Harry's side ever since his confrontation with the captain, refusing to move away from him for any reason. Jessir had poked Arko'narin in the side and told her in Darnassian to just sit in his lap to save space.

The blush and scowl that covered Arko'narin's face made Jessir laugh uncontrollably. The confusion on Harry's just made it better.

"So what ever happened to your cat?" Harry asked Arko'narin suddenly. "I haven't seen her around at all."

Arko'narin grinned and reached into the pouch at her side, pulling out a small figurine of Karri. "Pets and mounts can't go everywhere with us, so when we go somewhere that they can't follow, they become like this, and are immediately transported into our packs."

Harry looked closely at the figurine and poked it gently with his finger. Arko'narin slapped the back of his hand, saying, "Stop that. Didn't you have anything like this under that rock you're from?"

Harry shook his head and replied, "Not really, no." He turned to her and grinned, adding, "Our familiars were smart enough to find us when we needed them."

Arko'narin slapped Harry's arm with the back of her hand and put the figurine back in her pouch. "Don't insult Karri. She's amazingly intelligent. She just can't track me when I catch a flight from one place to another."

Harry arched an eyebrow at her. "I once hopped from one continent to another, more than six thousand miles. Two days later, my owl Hedwig found me and proceeded to cuff me upside the head repeatedly, along with biting my ears and fingers, for going somewhere without informing her first." He shook his head and continued, "That owl could find me no matter where I went. It was just a matter of if she _wanted_ to."

Jessir grinned and said, "Sounds like an intelligent owl, knowing when you deserved to be reprimanded. What happened to her?"

Harry just smiled sadly and replied, "She was very intelligent, but time eventually caught up with her. She died a few years ago." He shook his head and said, "But enough about that. I'll copy everything I found for you two to take to Darnassus. Just do me a favor and leave me out of it where you can, yeah?"

Arko'Narin huffed. "You have to go with us to present it." Arko'narin grinned and added, "Unless, of course, you want to leave Lady Whisperwind being thankful to the humans of Stormwind. You know they'll milk that for all it's worth. Are you sure you want to put someone through such travesty?"

"You just really want me to go see this place, don't you?" Harry asked exasperatedly, to which Arko'narin just nodded. Harry sighed. "Fine, I'll come take a look for a bit, hand over this information, and then I'll be on my way."

"You should see at least some of the city," Jessir said jokingly. "It really is a peaceful place, and if you really are interested in settling down somewhere quiet, then you should take a look at the outskirts of the city." _Besides, if you move to Darnassus and we ever need some help with something, you'll be close-by._

Harry arched an eyebrow at her. He knew she had a reason for making such a statement, but he couldn't figure it out at the moment. He shook it off and replied with a shrug, "I'll take a look, but no promises. I'm a bit picky in what I'm looking for."

Jessir shrugged back and said, "as long as you look, that's all I ask."

* * *

"Since we're going to go to Darnassus to deliver those plans, then we should get some sleep and leave early tomorrow," Arko'narin said after they had eaten that night, her head resting on Harry's shoulder and her eyes starting to droop.

"Yeah I guess," Harry said, already resigned to the fact that at least Arko'narin would be tagging along with him wherever he went. He had tried earlier that day to convince her to go to Darnassus and deliver the plans herself, and all he got in reply was an arched eyebrow, a slap on the back of the head, and a comment about stupid Humans. "It needs to be done sooner rather than later."

Arko'narin nodded and yawned, and Jessir took that moment to loudly claim the only bed, immediately flopping down upon the mattress and settling in. She said it was by virtue of age. Arko'narin just scowled for a second before dragging Harry down onto his back next to her on the floor and curled up tight to his side, one arm and leg slung over him. Harry just sighed and shook his head, following the two into the realm of dreams.

Before they were all asleep however, Harry had one question that was still bouncing around his head. He thought he pretty much knew the answer already, but he wanted to hear if it was correct.

"By the way, why was my bag full of sawdust and confetti?"

The laughter of the two Night Elves could be heard across the camp.


	4. Tasks and Summits

**Disclaimer:**

I don't own anything related to the rights of Harry Potter or Warcraft.

**Author's Note:**

For the folks that may not have checked yet, this story underwent some serious revision from chapter two onwards as of February 3rd, so if you haven't checked that out, please do so, or you might be lost. Chapter three was updated as of Feb. 6th. Nothing really major, but I think it reads better now. If you have the time and the inclination, check it out. Also, More WoW canon change in this chapter, hope no one minds.

This chapter also introduces my absolute favorite character of all time, Sylvanas Windrunner.

As a side-note, this is officially my most popular story, so thank you everyone, thank you all for the favorites, the follows, the reviews, and simply taking the time to read what I have created. I truly appreciate it.

**(Mar. 18th, 2013)** - Minor revisions and additions.

**(Aug 20th, 2013)** - Reworked and tweaked.

No Beta, so all mistakes are my own.

**Publish Date:** Feb. 7th, 2013

**Update Date:** Aug. 20th, 2013

* * *

**Chapter Four**

Tasks and Summits

_**Harry's Dream**_

_Harry was standing in a sea of darkness, absolutely nothing around him in any direction. No light, no sound, not even ground to stand on, which made him idly wonder why he didn't feel like he was falling. He had the mild impulse to jump, just to see what would happen, but he squashed that down and decided there was no need to be that curious. Curiosity always got him in trouble. He kept looking around for something, anything around him to gain some sort of bearing, but nothing appeared._

"_Well, this is either the start of a pretty good dream or a truly horrible nightmare." Harry said absently to himself._

"_That depends," said a voice behind him, causing him to spin around and locate the speaker. "It could be both," she finished, walking toward him slowly, her black heels clicking on the ground that wasn't there. She was absolutely gorgeous, a terrible perfection that froze and boiled his blood all at once. A long, shimmering black dress held up by thin straps over her shoulders swept down to her ankles, hugging and displaying her every curve with a sinfully low neckline that was just this side of indecent, slits up both sides to just past mid-thigh exposed miles of leg with her every step. She had flawlessly pure alabaster skin, long, wavy black hair framing her face that hung half-way down her back and full, blood-red lips with eyes that were as shimmering black as her dress, no whites or irises to be seen. She had her hands clasped behind her, making her bust stand out even more than normal._

_Harry had trouble keeping his eyes above her neckline, which just seemed to amuse her. He shook his head clear and asked the woman, "Who are you?"_

_She stopped and pouted playfully at him as she said, "I'm simply shocked that you don't know me, my Master. I've been close to you since you were but a babe, and we were even quite intimate once in your teenage years. Do you usually go and forget a girl's name after something special like that?"_

_Harry's face twisted in confusion for a moment, trying to figure out if this was simply a dream or if it was something else. The woman felt so very familiar but he couldn't remember ever seeing her face._

_The moment he realized who she was his face and eyes lost all expression. "Death."_

_The smile that spread across her face was colder than the arctic and absolutely vicious. "Correct, my Master." The way she said his title left no room to misinterpret just how low her opinion of him was. She obviously didn't like having a master just as much as he hated being hers, probably more._

"_I've wanted to speak to you for quite a while, but you simply _refused_ to die in your old world so I could do so. Luckily this world's dreams and rules about life and death are much less stringent than your original one, but I still had to stop your heart in the real world to get you here." At the incredulous and panicked look on his face, she sighed in exasperation and waved her hand as if to brush him off before continuing as if speaking to a child; which to her, nearly everything _was_ a child, no matter how long they have lived. "Oh, it's not like your death would have been or will be permanent anyway. Even if your body is completely destroyed I'll simply make a new one for you."_

_Harry snorted and said with derision, "And here I thought Death was inevitable."_

_The glare she shot at him froze him in place. "I _am_ inevitable, even to you, Master. You may get to come back time and time again and live longer than any other being in any universe, but nothing, absolutely _nothing_ escapes my grasp forever, and I am _everywhere_. You are a single, tiny little speck on a single, tiny little planet not even out of its infancy in a sea of billions of planets in one of many, _many_ universes. I have reaped Gods and Titans, entire worlds and even _universes _at a time, and in the entirety of time itself I have only made one mistake since the beginning, creating those thrice-damned Hallows," She said, her every word drenched and dripping with venom._

_Harry just smiled cheekily and retorted without thinking, "I guess even Death can't be perfect." The second the words passed his lips he cringed internally and realized he had most definitely stepped well over the line with her._

_CRACK!_

_Harry's head viciously snapped to the side as she backhanded him across the face. "I may not be able to truly hurt you in the physical world, but _this_ is _not_ the physical world. You had best remember that, my Master," She hissed out, her hands clenched tightly at her sides and her eyes on fire. "And there are many, _many _things I can do to hurt you emotionally in _any_ world or plane of existence you may find yourself in."_

"_Why did you want to speak with me?" Harry asked, deciding to try to get to the point of this conversation before he did or said something that well and truly pissed her off._

* * *

**Emerald Sanctuary, Felwood**

Arko'narin groaned a bit as she awoke. She was a bit stiff from sleeping on the floor, but her pillow was quite comfortable and a bit cool. Her brow furrowed as she burrowed her face deeper as she tried to remember when she had gotten it out to sleep on the night before. In a rush she remembered dragging Harry down and using him as a pillow. Her eyes snapped open in panic and she sprang up to her hands and knees as if she had been completely doused in icy water as her mind came to two very specific, very important conclusions.

One, Harry's body was her pillow.

Two, living bodies _weren't_ this cool to the touch.

Arko'narin ripped down the part of his armor covering his neck and frantically tried to find a pulse with her shaking hands, but couldn't find anything, and she could tell he wasn't breathing. "Jessir!" She cried out in panic, startling the hunter completely out of her sleep and causing her to jump from lying on her side on the mattress to standing next to the bed in a defensive crouch, eyes wide and looking for danger. "Jessir, go get help!"

_You killed him!_

Jessir immediately ran out of the building at a sprint, leaving Arko'narin panicking and fumbling through bags and pockets looking for anything that she had, anything at all that might help in the slightest. Dobby popped in next to her and gripped her wrist tightly, stopping her frantic searching.

"Master Harry will be fine. Dobby's bond is still strong. Bond would break if Master Harry were truly dead." After saying what he needed to, Dobby released her wrist and disappeared once more, just seconds before Jessir ran into the room followed by Eridan Bluewind, a Priestess of the Moon, and Tenell Leafrunner, a druid who had come back from his studies in Winterspring for supplies and to send a report off to Darnassus and await a reply.

The druid and the priestess rushed over and began examining and casting over Harry's body. Everything they tried had no effect, and after several minutes they were about to give up when Harry's eyes snapped open and he took a deep, shuddering breath.

The moment Harry's eyes opened, everyone in the room recoiled away from the sight and looked anywhere else. His eyes were completely pitch black, seeming to suck you in and drown your soul. It was akin to staring into a howling abyss and having it quite literally stare back at you. It made them all feel infinitely small and insignificant and worthless in the immeasurable grandness of all of time and existence.

Harry roared in pain and rocketed to his feet, stumbling and gripping his left arm against his chest before frantically ripping the top half of his armor off of himself, exposing a well-muscled upper body covered in scars, but it was his left arm that drew everyone's attention. Runes and symbols were being seared into his skin in a spiral around his arm from his shoulder to his wrist like a ribbon. As soon as it finished, they darkened to an inky black, making it all look like a well done tattoo. Harry glanced at it, looked straight up at the ceiling and yelled, "That hurt more than a little bit, you _bitch_!"

The cold, musical laughter that echoed lightly around the room made the blood freeze in the veins of everyone except Harry. After being as close as he was to Death, a simple echo of her laughter wasn't nearly enough to worry him. He figured if she was laughing, then she was amused, and if she was amused, she was less likely to actually do something that was truly scary.

Jessir looked around the room and noticed the other Night Elves hadn't taken their eyes off of Harry. The druid and Priestess were still frozen in fear, staring at a point over Harry's shoulder. Jessir looked back at Harry and then past him, but didn't see anything. Arko'narin however, with her jaw hanging open as it was, looked to be drooling, following every small movement he made with her wide eyes as if she were starving and he were a tasty meal. Jessir sighed and shook the druid and priestess out of their stupor, causing them to look at her quickly and then leave the building in a rush. Jessir just shrugged and shook Arko'narin by the shoulder, causing the young Night Elf to blink and snap her jaw shut before blushing heavily and turning away.

Jessir just shook her head. Sometimes she wondered at the wisdom of taking on a student, especially one as young as Arko'narin was. Jessir turned back to Harry and asked, "Are you okay Harry? What happened to you and your arm?" The question caught Arko'narin's attention and she turned back to Harry, still blushing lightly. Harry froze for a split-second, just enough for Jessir to notice, before he continued pulling back on the top half of his armor. He took his time getting it on and situated comfortably in an obvious stall for time, but to organize his thoughts before telling them or to come up with a convincing lie, she wasn't sure. When he was finished he spoke.

"I'm fine now. Someone wished to request something of me and I had to die to speak with her, so she stopped my heart. As for my arm, well," Harry hesitated for a second before continuing, "apparently it's her Mark." He walked over to a trunk and pulled out a piece of parchment, a quill, ink, and an envelope, sat at the desk and began writing a letter, which confused the two Night Elves. As far as they knew, the only people he really knew were in the room with him.

_She claimed what's yours! Took it from you she did!_

Arko'narin shook her head clear. "Who is this _'she'_ that decided killing you to have a conversation was a good idea and then went and marked you?" she spat out, showing what she thought was the bigger issue and obviously angry at the idea of anyone _marking_ the man she wanted to claim as hers.

Jessir dug her elbow into Arko'narin's side and glared at her. "More importantly, what task were you given?" Jessir asked, looking back at Harry.

Harry sighed and folded up the letter he had just finished writing, stuffed it in the envelope, sealed and addressed it, and then walked over to bag. He pulled out a trunk from his backpack and enlarged it, opening it swiftly and pulling out all the information he had acquired when he had first arrived in this world. He drew his holly wand and whispered a permanent copying charm at the plans six times, followed by a permanent translation charm on all of them, including the original. Both spells he had found by sheer luck misfiled and buried in a dusty old book in the back of the Department's library. It wasn't usually useful, seeing as the temporary translation and copy charms were more than enough almost all the time and quite well known as well as easy to cast, and the wand movements for the permanent versions were meticulous, requiring far more finesse than power, which was why he didn't use the Elder Wand for such things. It would be similar to trying to create a painting and using a broom as your brush. It could _possibly_ be done, but it probably wouldn't look very good, and you'd lose _far_ too much detail that way.

Harry tossed the original and one copy of the information back in the trunk and slammed the lid shut, shrunk it, and threw it back into his bag. "Dobby!" He called out, as he bundled up the loose papers into obvious units, and tied the letter to the top bundle. Dobby appeared in front of Harry quietly, forgoing his usual exuberance. Harry handed him the stack of papers and said, "I need you to deliver all of this to the person the envelope is addressed to and wait for a reply, but above all, do _not_ let yourself be harmed or captured under any circumstances."

Dobby popped away and Jessir asked again, "What task were you given and by whom, Harry? And who was that letter for?" Harry stood and looked over at the two with icy eyes, and what he said froze them on the spot, first in anger, then in terror.

"The letter was to Sylvanas Windrunner, and the task given to me is the complete and utter destruction of both the Demon Lord Kil'jaeden and The Lich King, along with every one of their followers."

* * *

_**Harry's Dream**_

"_Why did you want to speak with me?" Harry asked, deciding to try to get to the point of this conversation before he did or said something that well and truly pissed her off._

_Death took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She opened her eyes and smiled at him, slowly stepping closer to him and wrapping her arms around his neck, trailing the nails on one hand lightly up and down his spine, the other playing with his hair. "The demon that created the Lich King stole power from me, and Arthas Menethil, the current Lich King, continues to use that power to deny me what is mine. He takes the souls that rightfully belong to me, rips them back into the land of the living, forces them back into their corpses and reanimates the dead. I want you to utterly destroy all those involved in this, my Master," Death whispered with saccharine sweetness, making Harry shiver. "The Lich King, all of his followers, the demons that allowed and even helped such an abomination to exist, and the Demon Lord Kil'jaeden, the one who stole my power and started it all. Send them to my realm so I can ensure their punishment for daring to attempt to stop the inevitable, for having the utter audacity to steal from me and believe they could get away with it. Will you do this for me my Master?"_

_Death may have phrased it as a question, but they both knew it was a demand, and one she would make him pay dearly for if he denied her. "And what of the Forsaken, and the rest of the undead that have no wish to serve the Lich King but are or were forced to?" Harry asked, trying to buy as much time as possible to think about his answer. "And if you have so much power, why can't you go and take care of this yourself?"_

_Death's shoulders slumped as she sighed in exasperation and rolled her eyes. She knew pushing him on this particular matter would be useless, and she could still use the Forsaken to get back what was rightfully hers. She could wait to deal with their souls. "I will wipe the slates of the Forsaken clean and return the bodies that house their souls to living condition, but only _after_ they help you do this, because no matter how powerful you are, you can not do this alone, you will need the help of every race in the world you now find yourself in, including the dragons, otherwise you will lose," Death shrugged as she continued, "It's not like the Forsaken can escape me forever anyway, I am quite patient. I can afford to wait a few millennia to judge their souls._

_Death scowled as she answered his second question. "I can't enter the mortal plane and truly affect anything, not enough to do what needs to be done at least. I can, on very rare occasions, grievously injure, but I can never shuffle anything off into my realm myself. It's one of the very few laws I'm bound by in any universe, and even you, my Master, can't change that." _

_Death cocked her head to the side and thought for a moment before saying, "Have your elf, Dobby, deliver a message to the leader of the Forsaken, Sylvanas Windrunner, and sign it as the Master of Death. She should be having a meeting with most of the leaders of the Horde, so you can gain some semblance of trust with them all if you send copies of the information you found. Tell her that I will repair the damage Arthas did to her soul immediately if she accepts and an agreement is reached, and I will wipe her slate clean immediately as well. Remind her that she will not be damned to eternally wander the hellish void that I condemned her to as long as she does nothing to earn it. You can sweeten the deal for her by telling her exactly who you are going after. Her hatred of Arthas is second to none. I will speak to her beforehand and tell her some things that will help convince her and make it a bit easier on you to acquire an alliance. I will also let her know to expect a message from you soon, my Master."_

"_I was hoping to keep that title a secret for as long as possible," Harry mumbled under his breath. "I was told only the leader of the red dragons had the power to return things to living condition," Harry said in a more normal voice. That was what he had been told earlier that day when he got a rather basic overview of the dragons in this world._

_Death glared coldly at him and replied, "I have far more power than that overgrown lizard could ever conceive of. If she decides to have a temper tantrum like the child she is then I will visit her in person and make sure she knows this." She calmed herself and smiled sweetly at him again, moving close enough to him that he could feel her breath against his lips as she whispered, "And you won't be able to hide your title for long. The most powerful of the Druids, Shamans, Paladins and Priests in this world will see me and my Mark on you. They will know you, my Master, no matter how hard you try to hide it, and the lesser ones will simply feel my presence around you. Will you do this task for me, my Master?"_

_Harry swallowed the lump in his throat and simply said, "Yes."_

_Death smiled sweetly and spoke softly to him, "One more thing. Well, two more things. One, you will have to destroy Kil'jaeden first, otherwise all of the Lich King's power will go to Kil'jaeden, as he was the one that created the abomination in the first place, and the Lich King's power has grown quickly at an exponential rate since his creation and is still growing. By now he could probably take on Kil'jaeden alone and come out on top, So I'll be Marking you and adding to your already considerable power. It might hurt a little bit."_

_Harry's blood chilled in his veins. He wasn't sure if it was because of simple fear or from being in such close proximity to Death, though. "And the second thing?" He asked cautiously._

_Death's smile widened. "You don't have to worry about the Hallows switching allegiances. They'll be bound to you completely after I mark you, and you will be able to summon them to you wherever you are, no matter what. Now, gotta do something special to leave my Mark and seal the deal, my Master," she whispered, just before she jerked his head down and crashed his lips against hers._

* * *

**Echo Isles, Durotar**

Thrall was sitting in a small room talking quietly with Vol'jin, leader of the Darkspear Trolls, Lor'themar Theron, the new leader of the Blood Elves, and Baine Bloodhoof, the Tauren High Chieftain, on the newly liberated Echo Isles, home to the Darkspear Tribe. After Garrosh Hellscream's various betrayals, both leaders had gotten in touch with Thrall to ask for a secret summit between all the Horde leaders to discuss removing Garrosh from power. They were just waiting on Sylvanas Windrunner to join them to start the summit.

Sylvanas entered the room quickly, her disheveled appearance startling everyone present. She was much paler than usual and she was breathing heavily, her eyes wide. She pulled out a chair and dropped down into it heavily, clenching her hands tightly on top of the table in a futile attempt to stop them from shaking. She closed her eyes and took a few slow, deep breaths to calm herself before opening her eyes and staring at a point off into the distance. After a few seconds of silence she said quietly, "I just had my soul ripped out of this body against my will and shoved back into it, apparently all for the sake of a conversation."

This simple sentence startled and troubled everyone present, causing everyone to worry about what had the power to preform that particular action. Even the Lich King himself needed to be nearly within arms reach to do such a thing. "You be sure it not a simple nightmare, mon?" Vol'jin asked carefully, not really wanting to anger someone as volatile as the Banshee Queen.

Sylvanas hesitated a second before replying, "If it was, it was horribly realistic. I was told we should be receiving a message today, if it doesn't happen, then it was just a terrifying nightmare, if it does, then-"

The dark ranger-general was cut off by a loud pop and the sudden appearance of a creature slightly resembling a Goblin standing in the middle of the table, carrying a stack of bound papers that was nearly as tall as it was. Even though it couldn't see over the top of the stack, it turned and walked purposefully over to Sylvanas, whose eyes were wide in fear, the first time in many, _many_ years such an emotion had graced her face, and the only time others had seen it. The fact that she simply couldn't hold her composure was far more telling than any words she might say. The little creature dropped the stack in front of her and pulled a letter off the top of the stack, handing it to Sylvanas with a vicious grin. "A letter to you from the Master," the little creature said, completely ignoring her slight cringe at the last word.

Sylvanas gently plucked the letter from the little creature's hands, opening the envelope cautiously and gently unfolding the letter. Her complexion paled more and more the further she got in the missive, and her hands started shaking again. She reached a point near the end of the letter and she froze completely, her eyes blazing in rage.

_Sylvanas Windrunner,_

_I have been told that you should be expecting this letter, so I assume you know who I am and the basics of what this will cover already._

_You might not have been told, however, that She will heal the damage done to your soul immediately upon reaching an agreement, as well as wiping your slate clean at the same time, which means no more worrying about the fate that awaits you after She claims you, as long as you do nothing to earn it. She will also do the same for your people if they agree as well, as well as returning all the bodies that currently house the souls of the Forsaken, including you, back to living condition. Her words, not mine._

_The packages with this letter are copies of all of the information I acquired from a Burning Legion camp in Felwood a few days ago. Consider it a first measure of trust that absolutely nothing in it is redacted. I'm not sure how much is relevant to you and your allies, but I'm sure at least some of it can be of use._

_I am sure, however, that I don't need to impress upon you my desire to see this information damage the Legion, and not the Alliance, or each other._

_Honestly, I'm going to need every ally I can get from all sides for the task that She requested of me. It seems She holds quite the grudge, and wishes to meet two beings in particular within her realm to express her displeasure. I have the massive task of making sure they both arrive there in a timely manner. My two targets?_

_Kil'jaeden and Arthas._

_It should be obvious just how much in need of allies I am that I can trust, and I will stand next to, fight beside, and bleed with _anyone_ who will raise a weapon against the Legion and the Scourge, no matter the race._

_Send a message back with my friend Dobby, a House-Elf by the way, after you've discussed this with whomever you need to. Also, let him know he can do his job if he wishes, and to use my supplies if he does, while he waits._

_Harry Potter,_

_The Master of Death_

_P.S. - It would be a very bad idea to call or even infer that Dobby is in any way related to or looks like one of the Goblins. He takes it as a personal insult, and I've been on the receiving end of it more than once. It is... unpleasant, to say the least._

"It was real," she whispered to the room. She folded the letter up and slipped it into a pocket inside her cloak, knowing she'd be reading it again and again over the next few days. She turned to the little elf and said in a stronger voice, "Your friend want to let you know that you can do your job while you wait for a reply if you wish and to use his supplies if so." Dobby simply nodded once, calmly hopped off the table, and walked out of sight.

Sylvanas started passing the documents out to everyone at the table as she said, "Apparently all of this is information acquired from a Legion encampment in Felwood. I believe there is a copy of everything for each of us. It was also mentioned that this was something of an olive branch as it's completely unedited and includes the plans the Legion had for the Alliance as well." She took a deep breath and continued. "There is also another matter that needs to be addressed. The person the letter is from has the task of killing both Kil'jaeden and the Lich King, and says he will need allies from both the Horde and the Alliance. He says he will stand next to, fight beside, and bleed with any who wields a weapon against the Legion and the Scourge, and I am inclined to believe him." She looked at everyone at the table and finished, "I intend to at least meet with him, probably ally myself with him, even if my people don't, if only to personally see to the end of Arthas."

Sylvanas' speech shocked those around the table, first because of the task this currently unknown person had, and then at the Banshee Queen's decision. They all wondered just what had caused such a drastic change in her personality, usually she was cold, calculating and manipulative. She had never flat-out told them what her plans were, she didn't do much without the backing of at least the vast majority of her people, and she definitely didn't follow anyone without at least bitching about it constantly, but the hard look in her eyes left no doubt as to her resolve on the matter. She intended to see this to the end, no matter the personal cost.

Thrall nodded and added, "I will meet with him as well, if only to meet the person who has such an effect on you, Sylvanas." With Thrall's agreement to meet the unknown man, the others agreed one by one as well.

Dobby walked back into the room, floating trays of various meats, fruits and vegetables, bottles of wine and jugs of mead and ale, all summoned from Harry's stock of supplies and chilled or cooked fresh over a fire just outside the building and out of view. He floated the food and drink onto the table and snapped his fingers twice, causing plates, silverware, and goblets and mugs to appear in front of everyone.

The group looked at each other hesitantly for a moment, before Thrall reached out and carefully plucked what looked like an entire leg of mutton off one of the plates, tore off a piece, and popped it in his mouth, chewing carefully. His eyes widened in surprise as he swallowed the meat and he said, "This is real, fresh meat, not mage-conjured food!" He looked over at a grinning Dobby and asked, "Where did your master acquire such quantity of fresh food, and why would he share so much of it with people he does not know?"

Dobby grinned wider and replied, "Dobby made sure that all of Master Harry's food and drink was the highest quality available and preserved with Dobby's elf magic. It will all stay as fresh as the day it was acquired as long as under Dobby's magic. Master has much, and enjoys sharing when possible. Is why Dobby was told to use Master's supplies. Even if not told, it is always implied unless specifically told otherwise."

Thrall's brow furrowed in thought for a moment before he said, "Harry is a human name, is it not?"

Dobby nodded and replied, "Yes sir, Master Harry was born human."

Sylvanas immediately noted the choice of phrase, _born human_, instead of _is human_, and filed that bit of information away for later thought. She reached out and picked up a bottle of the wine, looking over the label. "Dobby, what can you tell me about this?" she asked the little elf.

Dobby walked over and gently took the bottle out of her hands, glancing over the label and grinned. "It is a seven hundred year old bottle, made by my master's family." Dobby went through the process of getting the bottle ready for consumption while everyone sampled the food and looked over the documents.

Vol'jin looked around at the table and noticed just how large the quantity of food there was, it was probably enough to feed the entire village for a meal. "Dobby, mon, dere be too much food here for just us, would ya or ya masta mind if me tribe had some as well?" he asked cautiously. "Dey have not had good food in quite de while, mon."

Dobby just walked outside, leaving the others slightly confused and wondering if he had become offended. Suddenly a large quantity of food simply disappeared from the table. A moment later Dobby walked back in and said with a grin, "Large table outside with food and drink for anyone who wants it."

Vol'jin blinked in surprise at just how quickly the request had been accepted and carried out. He stood up, walked outside and bellowed, "Dere be food and drink for all! Come eat ya fill Darkspears!" With that, he walked back inside and sat down again. The sound of drums and stomping feet slowly filled the room, indicating a party had started outside.

Dobby frowned a bit and snapped his fingers, causing a shimmer to run around the walls of the room and the sounds from outside to dull to the point that it allowed those around the table to talk without having to yell above the noise.

The group of leaders continued to eat as they talked. "So we have all decided to meet with this human, and at least hear what he has to say, now the question is where and when to meet him, and if we should meet him as a group or individually." Thrall said. "If we meet him as a group, we can discuss more in a shorter amount of time, but it might also make him more cautious because he will most likely be outnumbered."

Dobby's laughter drew the attention of everyone at the table. Baine shook his head and said, "I believe we should include Dobby in this part of the discussion. He has far more insight and experience concerning his master than any of us." At everyone's nod, Baine gestured toward a chair and said, "Would you join us Dobby, and assist us with this?"

Dobby hopped up into the chair and said to everyone, "Master has almost always been outnumbered in combat. Very rarely was a fight even close to fair. Master Harry would be comfortable meeting all here at once."

Lor'themar nodded and said "All at once then. That only leaves the time and location up for debate." The Blood Elf leader thought for a moment and continued, "Assuming we all want to meet him soon, and we're all here in northern Kalimdor anyway, a somewhat neutral location soon would probably be best. If possible, What about four days from now in Moonglade?"

Sylvanas shook her head and replied, "The druids there would not allow my presence. They find me unnatural. What about the Nordrassil Inn on Mount Hyjal? Even though there is a greater risk of attack by outside forces, Ysera is there, and it's relatively isolated."

"I believe that might be best," Thrall said carefully. "It's a true neutral location, out of the way of most travelers, and with an Aspect there to possibly act as a mediator and witness, there's little chance of anything going wrong."

The second those last words passed Thrall's lips, Dobby slammed his head against the table. Hard. Everyone jumped in surprise and looked at the little elf in confusion. Dobby picked up his head and sighed, saying, "Master Harry taught Dobby most important Law of Murphy. Dobby has decided this law was written specifically for Master Harry Potter. Law states, 'If something _can_ go wrong, it _will_ go wrong'. Especially if someone tempts fate with phrase 'What could go wrong?' or any variation of it. Has always happened. Every time. _Always._"

Baine chuckled and said, "Maybe this will be the exception little elf. Either way, the location and time is best for everyone, and what's done is done. We can only hope for the best."

Dobby just shook his head and sighed. He turned to Sylvanas and said, "Please write a letter for Master Harry, I will deliver it today. And Dobby will hope for the best and not mention the tempting of fate."


	5. Meetings and Arrows

**Disclaimer:**

I don't own anything related to the rights of Harry Potter or Warcraft.

**Author's Note:**

**Deleted and re-uploaded this chapter. Hopefully that will get rid of the error message. Its the same for the new chapter of plums story _Wizard Runemaster_.**

Again, a long author's note, and again, I'm sorry for this. I seem to be doing it a lot more lately. Nothing here is really vital to the story, but if you want to add your two cents to the mix, there are a couple points where an opinion could make or break a decision.

The choices for Harry's animagus form have been narrowed down. The normal animal options are a bear or a wolf. The magical animal options are a basilisk or a dragon. Still haven't decided which way to go with it yet, but at least the list is smaller now.

As far as the relationship pairing goes, I'm still not sure about anything. As for Arko'narin being the obvious choice, just because _she_ might want _him_, it doesn't necessarily mean _he_ wants _her_. But, we'll see how it goes. I do have to admit a small part of me is really wanting to find out if I can find a believable way to get Harry and Sylvanas hooked up. I even got a request to pair Harry with Death, but I'm not quite sure how that would work to be honest. And now I find myself trying to think of a believable way to do it just out of sheer curiosity and a desire to see if I simply can.

Here's a secret that might shock some of my readers and horrify others. There is no outline for this. I sit down and start typing and that's how the story takes shape. No planning, no plotting, nothing but building the story one word at a time from nothing. Honestly, I feel I write better that way.

ViolatedMonkey – I definitely didn't think your review was a flame in any way, but I feel I should clarify some things for you and my other readers. Harry simply isn't the biggest dog on the block anymore, it's that simple, and even if he was, it only takes one person to get one lucky shot to royally screw up Harry's world. As for the golem option, Harry is still using the same magic he used in his world, and creating a golem there was a time-consuming and magically draining task. One of the things I blatantly stole from Fullmetal Alchemist and altered only slightly for this story is the Law of Equivalent Exchange. Everything costs something of equal value, nothing is free. Wandless magic takes more focus and a bit more power to do because he has to use his body as a focus, which it really isn't meant to handle on a large-scale or for a prolonged period of time. That's more of a fallback option if he doesn't have access to his wand. His elemental abilities are harder to control, especially fire and lightning. He can control them, but it takes more focus than just using his wand. I hope this addressed your concerns about Harry, and thank you for taking the time to question, it helps me make a better story :-).

**(Mar. 18th, 2013)** - More minor revisions.

**(Aug 20th, 2013)** - Reworked and tweaked.

No Beta, so all mistakes are my own. Might start looking for one, not sure yet though.

**Publish Date:** Feb. 9th, 2013

**Update Date:** Aug. 20th, 2013

* * *

**Chapter Five**

Meetings and Arrows

Harry hated boats.

Sure, the rocking back and forth was annoying to say the least, but that wasn't why he hated being out at sea on a floating wooden deathtrap, one hidden rock or wrong wave or pissed off crew member away from sinking. No, his reason for hating boats tied in to what little self-preservation Harry had.

He still couldn't swim.

He may have done all right in the second task back in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, but he had gills and webbed hands and feet for Merlin's sake! Now he was wearing armor and carrying a backpack that would weigh him down and his bloody 'saving people thing' wouldn't let him leave anyone out here in the cold water to drown alone so he'd have to make sure they all got portkeys back to Lor'danel and why did he have to agree to taking a boat!

Harry stopped pacing back and forth on the deck and sighed, looking over to where Arko'narin was leaning out over the railing, smiling widely, enjoying the salty spray and cool sea wind. She had begged to take the boat because she had never been on one before and she really wanted to. She pouted at him and it reminded him _so much_ of Hermione wanting to drag him to the library and Ginny wanting to borrow his Firebolt and Susan wanting him to spend more time with his friends and Luna wanting him to look in the Department of Mysteries library for anything related to Crumple-Horned Snorkacks (they actually did exist, much to his surprise) and he refused to mention what Daphne got him to do with a pout. _That_ girl had manipulation perfected, and apparently he couldn't say no to a pouting female friend.

Jessir still hadn't stopped chuckling at him due to how easily he caved to Arko'narin.

After sending Dobby off with the letter to Sylvanas, they caught a flight to Lor'danel from Emerald Sanctuary. It took the rest of the day by hippogryph (not to be confused with a hippogriff, they looked nothing like Buckbeak) to make it, and as soon as Harry had hopped off the winged animal, Dobby had popped in with a rather short reply from Sylvanas, basically saying the leaders of the Horde would meet with him at the Nordrassil Inn on Mount Hyjal in four days time. Harry really wasn't looking forward to it, no matter how much it needed to be done. It felt too much like politics to him and he had more than enough of that out of the Wizengamot. He was going to have to tread very, _very_ carefully to get both sides together without killing each other, let alone fighting beside each other. Harry felt his meeting with the Night Elf leader would set the bar for what to expect from each side individually.

Harry sighed tiredly. He thought he would be done with the politics and the fighting and the impossible quests when he came to a new world. Instead he landed right in the middle of it all over again. Last time he only had to deal with a psychotic wizard and his followers. Tough, but possible. Now he had to unite two opposing factions and get them to work together to face massive armies with leaders that made Voldemort look like a fluffy little kitten. One that was declawed and neutered, and had a nose to boot.

Talk about out of the frying pan and into the _bloody _raging inferno.

It would be another few hours before the boat docked at the town they were headed to. Might as well get some sleep. With that thought, Harry laid down on the deck off to the side and used his backpack as a pillow, determined to get some rest before dealing with whatever life was going to throw at him next.

* * *

Someone kicking his leg jerked Harry out of his slumber. He snapped his wand into his hand and tried to point it but something was pinning his arm down. He stopped his body from reacting any further when he remembered where he was and looked over to see what was keeping him from raising his wand. He was a bit surprised to see Arko'narin using him as a pillow again. She sleepily burrowed her face into his neck and mumbled something, making Harry roll his eyes and sigh. He looked up to see who had woken him to see Jessir standing there with a grin plastered on her face.

Harry rolled his eyes and asked, "I'm going to have to start getting my own room and locking the door if I want to sleep alone, aren't I?"

Jessir snorted in amusement and replied, "I grew up with her mother, and I saw Arko'narin being raised. Trust me, once she sets her sights on something she wants, something as simple as a private room with a locked door would simply slow her down, it wouldn't stop her completely."

Harry shook his head and sighed. "I don't understand why though. She doesn't really know me," he grumbled in exasperation.

"Harry," Jessir started, her voice quiet and her eyes suddenly very serious. She looked over at the younger Night Elf to make sure she was still asleep before she locked eyes with Harry's and continued, "Arko is just barely out of her first century of living. That may seem old to you, but for us, it is still quite young, both mentally and emotionally. Felwood was her first assignment outside the safety of Darnassus, and she spent the majority of it as a captive, listening to her partner being tortured, and being told how she would be used before she was killed. Then you came along and not only rescued her from such a fate, but helped her recover her partner's body and acquired intelligence that was vital to her people, intelligence that you were willing to hand over for free. She sees you as her hero, and she feels far safer with you than she does alone. Please don't hurt her."

Harry simply nodded, not really knowing what to say to that. Jessir nodded once in satisfaction and pointed to Arko'narin. "Wake her up and let's get moving, I'll go on ahead and see when we can meet with Lady Whisperwind. Stay in the village for now, the Sentinels get quite suspicious of outsiders wandering around the city, even if they are escorted. I'll come back and get you when it's almost time. I'll probably be accompanied by a formal escort though." Harry nodded again and Jessir turned to leave the two of them alone.

Harry turned to the woman who was now lying more on him than next to him after watching Jessir leave the boat and shook her gently, saying, "Time to get up and get moving Arko'narin, we have a lot to do today."

The young Night Elf groaned and raised her head and looked around blearily, slowly blinking the sleep out of her eyes. She caught Harry's eyes and realized she was lying pretty much on top of him, causing her to blush heavily and jump to her feet, muttering an apology. Harry just chuckled quietly and got to his feet, picking up his bag as he did. "Come on, Jessir already went on ahead to see about a meeting. She told us to stay in the village until she came to get us. Apparently with a formal escort." He slid the bag onto his back and drawled out, "I feel so honored."

Arko'narin chuckled lightly and replied, "It's just procedure, don't worry about it." With that, she grabbed his arm and tugged him off the boat and onto the dock.

* * *

Three hours later, Harry and Arko'narin were sitting side by side in the grass enjoying a comfortable silence, facing the portal to Darnassus and waiting for their companion to return. Jessir came through the portal and found them immediately, striding over quickly and looking particularly stressed. When she reached them she grabbed them both by the arm and jerked them to their feet, earning a squawk of protest from Arko'narin and a mild glare from Harry. She looked at him and said quickly, "Lady Tyrande sent General Feathermoon and a cadre of the Shadowleaves as your escort. She is Lady Tyrande's most loyal, and has been for ten thousand years. The High Priestess regards her as a daughter. Show respect, because if anything happens to her, the full might of the Sentinels will be brought against you in retaliation." The more Jessir said, the paler Arko'narin got. Harry got the idea that this definitely wasn't standard operating procedure.

A few seconds after Jessir had finished speaking, sixteen night elves walked out of the portal. They were all exceptionally well armed and armored, Harry didn't even need his aura sight to tell that all their equipment was saturated in enchantments and protections. The one in front of the group, the obvious leader, was no doubt the general that he had just been warned about. All he could really tell about her was that she had shining blue eyes and dark blue hair, even her face was covered in a mask that looked like it could be used as a weapon. She stopped just outside sword range and said stiffly, "I must ask you to relinquish all of your weapons before you can proceed into the city. I can not have armed outsiders in my Lady's presence." The fact that every single one of the soldiers spread out behind her had their bows half-drawn with rather wicked-tipped arrows drove home the fact that this particular point was absolutely non-negotiable.

Harry considered it for a short, rather tense moment before Jessir noted his lip twitch upwards in amusement. Shrugging and beginning to pull out his weapons, he handed them to Arko'narin and Jessir one by one. Apparently it wasn't like they could make him stay dead anyway, at least if Death was to be believed. And when it came to that particular matter, he felt he could trust Death on that. Overall, he figured doing this would make a decent first impression on Tyrande and maybe help him get her assistance in his task.

General Feathermoon's eyebrow raised in slight surprise at the nine very different wands he pulled out and she tensed slightly in the presence of an obvious magic-user. She was still a bit uncomfortable around users of the Arcane. Her other eyebrow went up when the knives began making their appearance. After more than a dozen of them and showing no signs of stopping anytime soon, she wondered just how many weapons he had. When he stopped at two and a half dozen, and looked like he was thinking, she wondered what he was going to do next.

Harry was trying to think of a respectful way of telling the general that there were two weapons that, even if he handed over, he could summon instantly just by willing it. He wasn't willing to bet that no one knew about that, and not mentioning it could have a disastrous effect on his attempt to acquire aid with his task. After a moment, he sighed and his shoulders dropped as he said, "Okay, those are my back-ups," causing the generals jaw to drop slightly in shock. He held his hands up in front of him in a pacifying manner and continued, "My two main weapons are rather special. They'll only really work for me, and they won't work against me at all. But that's not the major issue here. I can summon them to me instantly from wherever they are simply by willing it to happen. They just disappear from wherever they are and reappear in my hand." He summoned the Sword of Gryffindor and the Elder Wand to his hands as a demonstration, causing the soldiers to tense and draw back a bit further on their bows. Harry handed both of those weapons off to Arko'narin and said, "Be careful with those, they're well over a thousand years old and absolutely one of a kind." He turned back to the general and continued, "I also don't need a wand to use my magic, it simply makes it easier. I think I might have something that could block my magic from being used but I could still break those if I really wanted to, it would just take me a few seconds. I'm not exactly fond of the idea of being bound like that though." He conveniently left out the fact that it only affected _external_ magic, not _intern__al_. _Legilimency_ would be much more difficult, but not impossible, and it wouldn't affect his _Occlumency_ or his ability to apparate at all.

The general stared at him for a minute before she simply said, "I can not take any chances with my Lady's safety. Even if it is simply a token effort on your part, the gesture would be appreciated. My Lady's safety simply outweighs a stranger's comfort."

Harry nodded at that and slid his bag of his back and dug through it, pulling out two of the trunks and holding out his hand to Arko'narin. She hesitated for a second, glancing at Shandris and receiving a slight nod before handing him the Elder Wand, which he used to enlarge both trunks, much to the surprise of the soldiers. He opened both and pulled the copy of information out of one and a pair of wide bracelets out of the other. He shrunk both trunks, put them back in his bag, and handed the bag to Jessir, the papers and the Elder Wand to Arko'narin, and then handed the bracelets over to the general. "They won't work if I put them on myself," he stated, holding his arms out in front of him and steeling himself for the feeling of weakness that he knew was about to flood him.

The general walked forward slowly and closed one wrist in one of the bracelets, then the other. The moment the second bracelet was closed, there was a flash and Harry shuddered and fell to his knees, looking like he was about to be sick. He shakily climbed back to his feet and said, "Let's get this over with, I feel like half my soul just got ripped out." He chuckled and shook his head, muttering, "Never thought I'd say something like that."

Walking through the portal was nothing like the magical travel he was used to. One second he was in one place and the next he was somewhere else. If he had closed his eyes when he walked through he wouldn't have even known it had happened. As they walked across the large stone bridge heading south, Harry thought idly that he must look either quite the dangerous prisoner or a rather important guest, considering he had a large and obviously highly trained and well armed escort surrounding him.

_'Looks like I'm making such a good first impression on these people. Some will probably never trust me after seeing me escorted like this,'_ Harry thought to himself. Arko'narin spent the entire trip alternately fussing over Harry and asking repeatedly if he was sure he was okay and glaring petulantly at General Feathermoon. Harry looked over at Jessir and tried to communicate to her silently that he wanted her to get Arko'narin to stop, but Jessir just shook her head slightly and glanced at the general and back at him, probably indicating that if she tried, she would only make things worse.

Half of the soldiers escorting him split off on the ground floor of the temple and the rest followed the general around the fountain with a statue of a woman holding a bowl high about her head and up the ramp at the back of the large, grassy room. They reached the second level and Harry saw two people standing at a table and looking over the documents scattered across it. The woman was easily one of the most beautiful women he had seen since he came to this world. Her green hair was pulled back out of her face and flowed freely down her back, and her silvery blue eyes glowed brightly. She was wearing a white dress with runes embedded in seemingly random places and armor that seemed to accentuate her curves more than it protected. The male was a strange sight to Harry. With green facial hair that rivaled the length of Dumbledore's, he seemed to have random animal parts in place of the normal limbs, and his arms were half wings. Harry almost made a bad joke about a failed animagus transformation, but he decided that might be a bad idea for a first impression.

They both looked up and the moment they saw Harry, their eyes widened in shock and they both took an involuntary step backwards, confusing everyone but Harry. Before anyone could say anything, Harry asked simply, "I take it you both can see Her?" The cold glare from both leaders caused Harry to throw his hands up in exasperation and say to the sky, "You're a real piece of work aren't you? Do you simply enjoy making my life more difficult than it needs to be?" The cold, musical laughter echoed around the room and made everyone but Harry shift uncomfortably and look around for the source. Harry just looked behind him at Arko'narin and said tiredly, "Give her those papers, make sure the one on top is given to Tyrande. I really want to get the hell out of here and out of these things." He held up his wrists and added, "These things suck and they definitely weren't made for long-term use."

This caught Malfurion's attention. He turned to General Feathermoon and asked, "What are those, exactly?" Arko'narin had walked over and set the papers down on the table, pulled the top sheet off and handed it to Tyrande Whisperwind, who slowly became paler and paler the more she read.

The general shrugged and replied simply, "I will not take any chances with my Lady's safety. He offered to wear bracelets of his own that keep him from using magic."

Harry interrupted the conversation and stated, "That's all well and good, but I really think your Lady could use a chair right now," pointing to the now quite pale and slightly shaking Tyrande. "I don't think it's every day you see evidence of an assassination attempt against you that would falsely implicate an allied race."

This shot everyone present into action, most went to help their Lady while the rest drew weapons at Harry, who simply rolled his eyes. This was far from the worst situation he had found himself in, but it wasn't looking pleasant at the moment. He shook his head and spit out, "Bloody fucking hell, that's it! I quit! That's the last time I try to help anyone!" He spun around to Arko'narin and Jessir and hissed, "This is why I didn't want to come here in the first place. All I wanted was to find a nice quiet place to live out the rest of my life in peace. I left my own bloody world behind forever to get away from impossible tasks and people trying to kill me and the people I bloody died to protect trying to fuck me out of everything I owned and then some and I still can't get away from it!"

Distracted by his rant, Harry didn't notice the Suppression Cuffs shatter and fall to the ground in fragments, letting his aura flare out in all of it's brilliance. One of the newer Sentinels went slightly slack at the sheer amount of power flaring off of him and slipped, let go of the arrow that was drawn in her bow and sending it flying into Harry's back. The sudden impact jerked Harry forward a step and his face twisted in pain and confusion. He looked down at the half of a bloody arrow sticking out of his chest and muttered, "Well that bloody well hurt," just before he blacked out and toppled over, crashing to the ground with a _thud_ that was horrifyingly loud in the now silent chamber.

The sound of Harry's body hitting the floor and Arko'narin's scream of rage and grief started a flurry of action. Nearly everyone from downstairs had run up the ramp when Harry started yelling, and they all were crowded at the top of the ramp, frozen in place behind a line of guards, who weren't going to let anyone past them until things calmed down. General Feathermoon and Malfurion Stormrage turned on the Sentinel that had let her arrow loose. The young Sentinel had broken down in tears, panicked and terrified at having two massively imposing and ancient figures unleashing their anger on her.

Arko'narin had rushed to Harry and pulled the arrow out, throwing it off to the side. She pressed as hard as she could against the wound to try to keep the bleeding down, but the Sentinel's aim had been either very lucky or very good, the arrow had ripped viciously straight through his heart and a lung. He was dead before he hit the ground. She was holding him tightly to her chest and bawling, refusing to let him go. Tyrande was trying to pry Harry out of her arms to attempt healing him, however futile it might be, and Jessir was trying to pry her friend and student away from his body so Tyrande could work. Arko'narin got angry at everyone trying to take Harry away from her and swung one arm blindly, backhanding Tyrande across the face and jamming her elbow into Jessir's stomach before wrapping her arm back around Harry's body and tightening her hold on him, sobbing even harder. Tyrande sighed and started to move back towards Arko'narin and Harry when a voice echoed above the noise and froze everyone in their place.

"**Let my Master's body go, child.**"

Arko'narin's eyes shot open and she froze. She must be going insane. She just heard Harry speak, but it wasn't quite Harry's voice, it held an echo of a female voice under it, just like the stories she had been told about the very rare times when Elune had used Tyrande's voice to speak. She pulled away and looked down to see Harry frowning at her, his eyes open and as black and endless as they were the morning before. She let go and jerked back, letting Harry's body drop into her lap.

Harry climbed to his feet and brushed himself off. He looked down at his chest and inspected the wound, poking and prodding at it for a second before shrugging. He looked around the room for a moment before saying in a voice that was his and yet wasn't, "**Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've been on any physical plane? And my first time on this particular one has me using my Master as a puppet, and being in a male body is just uncomfortable, I so wanted to use my own.**" He looked over at Arko'narin and winked as he said, "**But he _does_ have a very nice body doesn't he? I _know_ you've noticed,**" causing the Night Elf to blush and look down.

Tyrande spoke up and asked, "Who are you? And why do you keep referring to the young man as your master?"

Harry turned to the High Priestess and smiled a cold smile. "**Here's a hint. I am inevitable, all things come to me with the passage of time, and absolutely nothing escapes my grasp. I have existed since the beginning, and at the end, even time itself will fall to me.**"

"You are Death," Malfurion said after a moment, his whisper carrying across the silent room and chilling everyone's blood.

Harry turned his smile to Malfurion and said, "**Correct, Druid. And Harry is my Master. And do not believe for a second that I have anything to do with that rabid lizard Deathwing that calls himself my Aspect. My Master is far, _far_ closer to that title than anyone or anything will _ever_ be. Neltharion's time is coming soon, my Master may even help you with it, and I have a very, _very _special place for him for having the audacity to believe the trash that spews forth from his filthy maw.**"

He looked over at the Sentinel that killed him, walking slowly towards her and hissing in rage, "**You are the one that harmed my Master. You _killed_ my Master, even if it is only temporary. You should be ecstatic that he spoke to me before I came and _ordered_ that you be left alone, or I would cause you pain the likes of which you could only begin to comprehend_. _He is far more forgiving than I would _ever_ be.**"

The young Sentinel promptly fainted.

Arko'narin's mind focused on a single thought and she squeaked out, "Temporary?" in a hope-filled voice.

Harry turned back to her and rolled his eyes, huffing out, "**Of _course_ that would be the one thought you would latch on to. Yes, _temporary_. His body just needs time to heal, and it shouldn't take more than a few hours, overnight at the longest, all things considered.**" The possessed Harry turned back to Tyrande and said, "**My Master came her to try to get allies for a task he agreed to aid me with, and he will need the help of all the races in this world to do it. He has a meeting in three days to this end.**"

Malfurion asked, "What task, and a meeting with whom?"

Harry sighed and said, "**He will meet with Thrall, Vol'jin, Baine, Lor'themar, and Sylvanas.**" That information caused various reaction around the room, but mostly anger. Harry spoke above the sudden outcry and continued, "**As for his task, that is the complete and utter destruction of Kil'jaeden and the Lich King.**" The silence that encompassed the chamber after that statement was deafening.

Harry snorted with amusement. "**Well that shut everyone up.**"

* * *

That evening found Harry's body lying on a bed in a private room, being fussed over by Arko'narin, who had not left his side since Death had stopped occupying his body. The wound was visibly gone, and now they were simply waiting for him to wake up. Tyrande, Malfurion, Shandris, and Jessir were lounging around the room in silence, all thinking about the events that led them to this point. "Should we ally ourselves with him?" Tyrande asked the room in general. "It would mean also allying with the Horde, something that will not go over well with the rest of the Alliance."

"Would it not be similar to allying with the Earthen Ring, though? Or the Cenarion Circle?" Malfurion voiced quietly. "Both have members of both factions, and the members are united to a common goal, one that is to the betterment of all of Azeroth, Horde and Alliance notwithstanding." Malfurion thought for a second before adding, "It would allow us to offer periphery assistance relatively quickly with the possibility of greater assistance later, when we can get a better view on things and see how our allies react as well as what he will do. We would have to be sure he would lead a neutral faction and not favor one side over the other, however."

"I don't believe he would," Jessir spoke softly, hesitant to speak when her opinion wasn't specifically asked for. The three older Night Elves turned to look at her, causing Jessir to shift in her chair uncomfortably. After a moment she continued, "He let slip in his earlier rant that he left his world behind forever, indicating he isn't even from Azeroth to begin with, and Arko and I had to teach him about our world. I don't think he has been here for more than a week, so there's not really any reason he would be biased one way or another." Jessir frowned and sighed, "He may be more hesitant to deal with us after this, but I do not believe he is one to hold the actions of a few against the many. This wasn't the first time he has been attacked by a Night Elf, however. He had the misfortune of meeting Captain Arathandris Silversky in Felwood just days ago. She treated him as a prisoner, even after he had rescued Arko. She went so far as to refuse all requests to get him looked at by a healer when he was carried into Emerald Sanctuary unconscious, and said she would simply have his body dragged out of the camp and dumped in the woods for the animals if he died."

Tyrande closed her eyes and sighed tiredly. That woman was still causing her headaches even from the middle of nowhere in Felwood. She wondered briefly if she could find a reason to have the captain transferred further away, maybe somewhere in the jungles of Stranglethorn would suffice.

"He carries himself as a soldier, as a fellow General," Shandris said absently. "I noticed the moment I met him that he has a natural aura of leadership that took me centuries to develop, and in one so young." She shook her head sadly and continued, "It makes me wonder just how early in his life he began preparing for war." She sighed and continued, "I would normally refuse to follow someone whom I had not personally seen in battle, but I find myself only a bit hesitant to follow him."

"I was eleven when I really started preparing to fight," Harry said suddenly, causing everyone to jump a bit and turn to him. He was still laying down, gazing at the ceiling. "But the seven or so years before that could loosely be considered training. My cousin's favorite game was called 'Harry-Hunting', and my uncle thoroughly encouraged that behavior, so you can imagine what that was like. I was leading people at fifteen, by seventeen I was a general, and by twenty-five I had seen and participated in more combat than most of the people I knew, including some more than twice my age. But that's all a rather long story, and one I'd rather not think about, let alone speak of."

Arko'narin had moved shifted Harry's head into her lap, gently running her fingers through his hair, making him close his eyes and quietly sigh in content. It had been a long time since anyone had done that, and he had forgotten how nice it was. After a moment, he looked up at her and said, "I have to leave in the morning to make it to Mount Hyjal on time. You know I'd understand if you didn't want to go with me there after earlier today," causing Arko'narin to frown and cuff him upside the head, muttering about stupid humans before going back to playing with his hair, eliciting a chuckle from Harry.

Tyrande looked over at Shandris and communicated her request silently. The general hesitated a fraction of a second before nodding once and turning and saying, "I will accompany you as well. The Night Elven people need to see how you react to and deal with the other races of Azeroth before we can truly commit to anything."

Harry nodded absently, his mind obviously thinking about something else. After a moment he focused on the general and said, "What happened to the Sentinel that accidentally shot me? I'd like to speak with her, soon if possible."

The general replied in a hard voice, "She was stripped of her rank and dismissed from service."

Harry grinned and said, "Good. I take it no one will mind if I hire her then," greatly surprising everyone in the room and thoroughly angering Arko'narin. He continued as if it was nothing out of the ordinary, "She's a pretty good shot, even when panicked, and she has some training, so she can take care of herself. I think the next place I should go after this meeting is to see the Draenei, and I need someone to go ahead and deliver a message and maybe get some supplies, and seeing as Arko'narin is going with me, and I doubt Jessir will leave her friend, she's the only other person I can trust to do it and ease things so something like that doesn't happen again."

_She'll take him away from you!_

Arko'narin shook her head and said icily, "I do not like her."

Harry turned to her and arched his eyebrow. "Why? Because she shot me? It was an accident, and I doubt she's going to do it again."

_You'll never be close to him with her around!_

Arko'narin frowned in reply and said flatly, "I still do not like her."

Harry chucked and shook his head, saying "That may be, but we need all the help we can get, and we can't afford to alienate someone without a solid reason."

General Feathermoon hesitated and looked over at Tyrande, who simply nodded. The general walked to the door and opened it, speaking in her native language to someone outside. She closed the door after a moment and said to Harry, "Her name is Meridia Moonblade, and she should be here in a few moments."

Harry nodded and sat up, noticing his bag on the floor next to the bed. He reached down and rifled through it for a moment, pulled out a trunk and writing equipment, and wrote a quick letter while he was waiting. When he was done, he set the trunk down and summoned the Elder Wand to him and enlarged the trunk, opening it to show that it was filled with Galleons.

"By Elune," Jessir muttered. "There must be a thousand gold in there. And you just carry that around with you?"

Harry looked confused for a moment before he chucked and looked at Jessir and simply said, "Like all of my trunks, it's bigger on the inside," causing Jessir to pale at the amount that could be there. He took a bag off a hook set in the lid and tossed about a hundred gold into it before closing and shrinking the trunk, returning it to his backpack and setting the bag of gold off to the side just as there was a knock on the door.

Shandris opened the door to reveal the former Sentinel. She still had faint tear tracks down her face and tattoos that looked like claw marks. She was actually a bit short compared to the rest of the Night Elves he had seen, and her light blue hair was pulled back tightly in a ponytail, contrasting well with her dark purple skin. She was wearing a plain dress and was holding her arms tightly to her chest, just below her breasts. She glanced around the room and noted who was there, Arko'narin's arctic glare in particular, and seemed to shrink in on herself further and duck her head, her silver eyes starting to tear up again. The general motioned her inside and shut the door behind her with an ominous click, causing the obviously young Night Elf to flinch.

Harry smiled to try to put her at ease and gestured at a chair in front of him saying, "Have a seat. There are some things I'd like to talk to you about." The young woman slowly sat on the edge of the chair, looking like she was ready to bolt at a moment's notice but forcing herself to stay. Harry sighed and continued, "I find myself in need of someone to take care of some things for me. You already know what my task is, correct?" The woman nodded, still not speaking, so Harry pressed on, "I need someone to deliver a letter to the leader of the Draenei and do some research. I need to know more about my enemies and their capabilities, and if I'm going to be basically building an army, then I'll need some kind of base of operations, so I'll need someone to look into that as well. Think you're up for it, Meridia?"

Meridia looked rather surprised and stuttered out, "W-why m-me?"

Harry smiled sadly and said, "There are very few times I didn't trust my instincts, and they all ended badly for me and the people around me. My instincts are telling me that you're perfect for this and I need it done. Will you do it?" Meridia finally looked up and locked eyes with him. She stared wide-eyed for several moments before she finally, slowly, nodded. "Good! So, can you tell me how you're going to go about this, just for curiosity's sake."

Meridia's eyes went slightly out of focus and shifted side to side rapidly in thought. It was several moments before she responded in a stronger, but still soft voice, "Deliver the letter first, and make sure the Draenei people know you are coming, and that they have a basic overview of what your task is. Stress the fact you are going to see to the destruction of Kil'jaeden and his forces, but don't leave out the Lich King. The Draenei hate the Legion, so they'll be more likely to listen to you if they think you're about to start waging war on the demons. Then, see about finding a base. Somewhere neutral and not too close to any Horde or Alliance base to keep from appearing biased. True in-depth research on Kil'jaeden and the Lich King can wait until after you have somewhere to start organizing troops and supplies. I doubt you'll be going after them anytime soon, you wouldn't be trying so hard to get so many allies if you could deal with it quickly, and it will take quite a bit of time to get everyone trained up and working together efficiently."

Harry's grin got wider and wider the more she spoke. When she finished Harry replied happily, "I think you're going to do just fine working with us." He picked up the bag of gold and handed it to her with the letter. "Go ahead and get what you need, make sure you're armed and armored as well, just in case. I'm leaving in the morning for Mount Hyjal, it might be as long as a week before I can make it to the Exodar." Harry turned to the side and called out, "Dobby!" causing everyone except Arko'narin and Jessir to jump in surprise. "Dobby, this is Meridia, she's working for me now. Answer if she calls for you, okay friend?"

Dobby looked over at her and then back to Harry and nodded, then noticed the hole that was still in Harry's armor. He scowled and snapped his fingers, vanishing the top piece off of him and into Dobby's hands. Dobby simply said, "Master Harry sir must be more careful around sharp objects," before vanishing away with the armor to repair it.

Harry just shook his head and said, "Cheeky little bugger."


	6. Interrogation and Information

**Disclaimer:**

I don't own anything related to the rights of Harry Potter or Warcraft.

**Author's Note:**

Sorry this chapter has taken so long, ended up hitting a wall and it took a bit to get through. I also made some edits to the first three chapters, nothing major, the only thing that really affected anything is the fact that I added ten years to Harry's age.

I put a poll up on my profile to help decide what kind of relationship Harry should be in since I still can't decide, so go ahead and cast your vote.

As a side-note, I'm a big fan of HP crossovers and I'm seriously considering doing a _TNGA: What Could Have Been_ series in some other categories. I just don't know about starting it yet because it would take some of my focus away from this story. But, if there's a specific category you want to see me do, leave it in a review or PM and I'll add it to the one's I'm looking at doing already if I can.

**(Mar. 18th, 2013)** - Minor additions.

**(Aug. 20th, 2013)** - Reworked and tweaked.

Also, still no Beta, so all mistakes are mine.

**Publish Date:** Feb. 20th, 2013

**Update Date:** Aug. 20th, 2013

* * *

**Chapter Six**

Interrogation and Information

_**3 days ago**_

Alurmi sighed, wishing she were anywhere else but here. She loved her humanoid form, and she thought it really was quite attractive, but she had been in it for far too long, and she missed flying so very much. Being asked to be the quartermaster was an honor, and at first she loved it, but in recent years the most she had done is inventory and cleaning. It seemed no one wanted her stock anymore, and more than a few adventurers had snorted in derision and turned their nose up at her wares. She wanted so badly to zap that look right off their faces, but doing so would get her in quite a bit of trouble with Nozdormu. It simply wasn't worth it. Alurmi plopped down on a crate, her chin in her hands, her elbows resting on her knees, the perfect picture of boredom.

_So bored!_ She thought to herself. _Nothing to do, nowhere to go,_ she sighed. _All these heroes come through on their quests, I bet they never get bored._ Alurmi sighed again and wished for something to do, something exciting, something _not_ boring!

"Alurmi! Nozdormu wishes to speak with you," she heard. She didn't bother looking at the speaker, she knew Zaladormu would be back to his post before she could, so she just stood, brushed herself off, and walked quickly deeper into the Caverns of Time. She hoped there was something a bit more exciting in store for her.

She really should have known to be careful what she wished for.

* * *

_**Present**_

The next morning found Harry and the others waiting next to the flight master for there to be enough free hippogryphs to fly to Talonbranch Glade in Felwood, and it would take most of the day to get there. They decided the night before to stop and rest in the Glade instead of trying to push on ahead as they all wanted to be well-rested before heading to the meeting. If everything went well, they would get there with half a day to spare. Jessir and Arko'narin were talking quietly off to the side, leaving Harry and Shandris in a bit of an awkward silence. Harry didn't really blame her for the events yesterday, but honestly, what do you say to someone who's more than ten thousand years old? Do you discuss the weather? While Harry was pondering that particular dilemma, Shandris broke the silence.

"Why did you really hire Meridia? I don't believe that you gave all of your reasons for it, and if I noticed, then I know Tyrande did," Shandris asked quietly, tilting her head to the side in curiosity. The effect with her helmet covering most of her face was a touch intimidating.

After a long moment thinking, Harry replied just as quietly, "She reminded me of an old friend." After a moment longer he licked his lips and continued, "He was a good friend, a good man. He was so very shy and soft-spoken when we first met, so clumsy and forgetful, but he had bravery in spades." Harry smiled at some long-ago memory and said, "It takes a lot of bravery to stand up to your enemies when your outnumbered, but it takes so much more to stand up to your friends when they outnumber you. He was loyal, brave, and such a fierce fighter. We stood shoulder to shoulder and fought against some pretty bad odds, and he never wavered, never faltered, not once." He summoned the Sword of Gryffindor and held it up, looking it over with a faint smile. "It takes a special kind of person to use this sword, they have to have certain qualities, or it simply won't allow itself to be used. He was the only person I've met other than myself that could wield this, and he did it in such a spectacular fashion."

"He sounds like a good man," Shandris replied. "What happened to him?"

"Time," Harry smiled sadly. "He eventually went on to become the herbology professor at our old school, but by then we had just grown apart. He was busy with his work and I was busy with mine, frequent letters turned into occasional ones that turned into cards on holidays and birthdays. It's been almost three years since the last time we spoke."

"Time can do that to the best of friends," Shandris said softly, watching as Harry sent the sword back to wherever it goes when he's not using it. "I lost touch with more than a few friends that way." After a moment, she added, "But I don't see how you believe Meridia is that brave. She was absolutely terrified when she showed up just to speak to you."

Harry simply smiled and nodded. "She still showed up, though. It didn't matter how terrified she was, she still came. Bravery isn't a lack of fear, that's just stupid and gets you killed. Bravery is doing what needs to be done _despite_ how terrified you are." He saw the flight master wave them over and said, "Looks like it's time to go."

Shandris watched him walk away, head down and shoulders slumped, looking like an old man with the weight of the world bearing down on him.

She wasn't absolutely sure he was talking about their flight to Felwood.

* * *

Talonbranch Glade was a large, dark tree that was either hollowed out or grown in a way that made a large hollow shelter at the base of it. There was a large pool at the center, and a tangled mess of roots and branches hung down from the ceiling, giving the place an underground feel to it. It was actually quite comfortable. The Night Elf Sentinels they passed seemed surprised to see General Feathermoon, standing at attention and saluting, and more than a few eying Harry with a touch of suspicion, while the Worgen didn't really much care either way past mild curiosity.

Harry just sighed and shook his head at the treatment, more than used to it after everything he had been through in his life. He vaguely heard Jessir and Shandris say they were going to see about accommodations for the night, and make sure that there would be a flight ready early the next morning for them to take to the inn on Mount Hyjal, leaving him alone with Arko'narin. She was still acting a bit cold to him for hiring Meridia, and he hoped she would stop soon.

After a moment of rather awkward silence, Harry sighed and asked, "Are you still angry with me?" Arko'narin just turned further away from him and huffed. Harry threw his hands up in exasperation and snapped out, "Fine! Don't talk to me!" Harry turned and walked off, muttering, "Don't even know why I give a damn," leaving a suddenly depressed Arko'narin standing there alone.

_You're losing him! Pushing him away! He'll never help if you continue!_

* * *

Harry continued walking down the path he found himself on, past a barricade guarded by Worgen and into a clearing. He finally found a quiet place to think, sitting down and looking off into the distance, his mind racing over old memories and recent events. He didn't notice the little bronze dragon whelp land next to him, but he heard it squawk at him. He jumped a bit in surprise, causing the little dragon to snort in apparent amusement. Harry chuckled and shook his head, holding his hand out to the whelp. The little dragonling eyed his hand for a moment before nudging against it with its head, prompting harry to scratch at its scales, causing it to close its eyes and make a noise, almost like a purr, in obvious pleasure. Harry chuckled and asked, "So why are you all the way out here little guy?"

The whelp glared and huffed at Harry, causing him to hold his hands up in front of him and reply, "Alright, alright, I get it, your definitely not male." The little dragon nodded and moved closer, nudging one of Harry's hands and demanding to continue being scratched, a demand to which Harry quickly acquiesced. Harry sighed and said, "I just don't get it. All I wanted was a quiet life, I even left my old world behind to get it, and not even a week here and I have this impossible task in front of me. I'm so tired of being a hero." Harry chuckled at the confused look on the bronze whelp's face, continuing, "Everyone wants to be a hero, all they see is the grand adventures, the fame and glory, the adulation. No one ever stops to think about what it takes to get there, the terror at the time and the nightmares that last the rest of your life, all the pain and loss, running yourself into the ground and having to force yourself to get up and keep going, even when all you want to do is fall over and die to get even a second of rest, being responsible for the lives of so many." Harry sighed and finished softly, "No one seems to realize just what kind of weight that really is, or just how easy it is to get crushed beneath it. Take it from someone people called a hero, little one. A simple, quiet life is so much better. The only thing that really keeps me going is something my old headmaster once told me, and a question I keep asking myself." Harry turned to his new friend and said, "What he said to me I'll probably always keep a secret, but I just have to keep asking myself, 'if not me, then who?'"

"Wise words," Shandris said from behind Harry, startling both him and the whelp.

Harry turned and looked at her in confusion, asking, "How long have you been there?"

She just shrugged and replied, "Long enough. The others were worried when you disappeared, and Arko'narin has been frantic, thinking that she's caused you to completely abandoned her."

Harry's eyebrow shot to his hairline and he shot back, "So she's perfectly content to pretend I don't exist until I'm needed for something?" He snorted and continued, "Sounds so very familiar. Either way, I wasn't going to be gone too long."

Shandris sighed and said, "I think she was more angry that you were paying attention to another female in general, rather than that particular female."

Harry looked confused and replied, "So she's jealous? Why?"

Shandris shook her head and chuckled, responding quietly, "As far as I can tell, with what I have been able to gather, you rescued her from a horrifying fate, and that cemented your place, in her mind at least, as her hero. Suddenly you decide to help someone else, someone that, by all rights, you should have wanted nothing to do with." She looked intently at Harry, holding his gaze and continued, "Someone that not only killed you, but more importantly, also seemed to threaten her ability to hold your attention. On top of that, she is young and female, and not truly secure in her looks, and you must admit, the first impression you had of her how she looks was not the best. She was dirty, half-starved, naked, and forced to live in a small cage with her own waste. Not exactly a first impression you want to make on someone."

Harry sighed and nodded, scratching under the whelp's chin absently. "Still, she shouldn't be that attached to me. It'll just be a disappointment when she gets to know me better and finds out just what kind of ruthless bastard I can be. Some of the things I've had to do, the sacrifices I've had to make, if I wasn't so very good and _occlumency_, I'd never be able to sleep because of the nightmares." Harry sighed again and said softly, "And I have the horrible feeling that I'm going to have to make even more before this is all over."

Shandris nodded and said, "I have the feeling I know what kind of sacrifices you mean. Sacrificing of ourselves is one thing. Sacrificing others is something completely different, but sometimes just as necessary. The only people who truly understand what kind of toll that takes on the mind and heart are others that have had to make the same kind of choices. Sacrificing the lives of some to save many more innocent lives is a horrible decision to have to make, and it is one reason most people simply aren't suited to be in a position of command. But I do not believe Arko'narin will be disappointed in you the way you fear." The general looked up at the darkening sky and said, "Come, we should be heading back. These woods get unpleasant after dark. You might want to bring your new friend with you, whelps don't usually last long on their own, and that one is smaller than most."

Harry turned to the little dragonling and scratched its scales, asking, "Want to come with, girl?" The little whelp squawked at him and hopped up into his arms, curling up against him and shifting a bit to get comfortable. Harry chucked and said, "I guess that's a yes, then."

* * *

The moment Harry got back to Talonbranch Glade, Arko'narin rushed over and tried to hug him and apologize, but was halted by the whelp in his arms hissing and glaring at her. Harry looked down and frowned, saying, "No need to be rude little one." The dragonling looked up at Harry for a moment before continuing to glare at Arko'narin, but didn't hiss or try to stop her from hugging Harry's side.

Arko'narin held him and burrowed her face into his neck, saying, "I'm sorry," over and over. Harry sighed and gently pulled away from her, setting the whelp down next to him before pulling her back into a proper hug. She held on to him tightly, as if afraid he would simply vanish if she let go, and buried her face in his neck once again, murmuring continuous apologies into his shoulder.

Harry just sighed and let her work it out of her system for a few moments before gently pulling away. He held her out at arm's length and said, "Next time tell me what's bothering you, okay? I can't fix something if I have no idea what's wrong in the first place." Arko'narin just smiled and nodded, wiping the last of the tears from her cheeks. She pulled back a bit and watched Harry bend down and pick up the bronze whelp, which shifted a bit and curled up comfortably in his arms. Harry turned so the little dragonling could see Arko'narin and said to the whelp, "This is Arko'narin, she's a friend of mine, so no being mean, okay little one?"

The little whelp eyed Arko'narin for a moment before turning its head up to look at Harry and squawked quietly before stretching its neck out toward her. Arko'narin hesitantly reached out and scratched the little dragon under its chin, eliciting a rumbling purring noise and causing Arko'narin to smile.

Jessir walked over and noticed the whelp immediately. She raised her eyebrow at Harry and said, "I take it you found another companion?" She eyed the whelp and continued with a smile, "Are we going to have to keep an eye on you so you don't bring home every stray you find?"

Harry smirked at her and replied in a joking manner, "Well I did bring Arko'narin home, and then you joined, and now this little one. I guess I'm just a magnet for strays."

Jessir just rolled her eyes and cuffed Harry on the back of the head. "Anyway, we should get some rest. We have to leave early in the morning." She looked at the dragon in Harry's arms and then back up to him and said, "You get to carry the little one during the flight. Have fun!" Causing Arko'narin to giggle slightly and Harry to wonder at the wisdom of bringing along a dragon.

* * *

Climbing off the Hippogryph at the Nordrassil Inn on Mount Hyjal made Harry sigh in relief. Shortly into the flight, the bronze whelp had started squirming and shifting, making Harry need both arms to keep from dropping her, which made the flight that much more difficult. He would have to find a better way to keep the little dragon around without carrying her everywhere. He had been told that once dragon's reach a certain age, they could take a humanoid form, and he wondered how long it would be before the whelp in his arms could do that. It would make traveling so much easier. Harry looked around the area and noticed one thing immediately. The tree that the inn was under was... Well, _massive_ didn't even begin to describe it. The second thing he noticed was quite a few people staring at him. Some with fear, a few with curiosity, and even a few with anger. Harry sighed and figured he should just get used to it. If Death was right, and she probably was about this, then it would happen no matter where he went in this world. He turned around and waited for his companions to catch up before walking the short way to the inn and entering the building.

Harry was slightly surprised to find a Night Elf with horns that seemed to be waiting for him. Her skin was a deep purple with green facial tattoos and her bright green hair was mostly pulled back, leaving a few wisps framing her face. Her forest green armor left little to the imagination concerning her rather curvy figure and she had a wide black choker around her neck. The thing that stood out the most for Harry, however, was the fact that her eyes were closed but still shifting rapidly as if she could either see through her eyelids or she was dreaming.

"You are an anomaly young one," she said to Harry, causing his eyebrow to raise and his head to tilt to the side. "You appear suddenly and none of the Aspects know where you came from or why. Nozdormu is rather perturbed that your arrival was unforeseen and that it also twisted the timeline, causing quite a bit of work for him to readjust. At the moment he feels you might be a threat to all of Azeroth. Alexstrasza cannot sense you at all, and she believes you are not truly alive. However, she has no proof either way and is willing to give you the benefit of the doubt for the moment and see what you will do. Kalecgos felt the magic behind your arrival, and he is simply dying to meet you. He can feel your magic from Dalaran, which is no small feat, and wants to know where you come from and what new magics you might possess." She shook her head and muttered, "He has always been quite curious."

Harry listened to her, filing away everything she said and building plans around it. He was glad she was so forthcoming with that information, he would need it if he was going to try to get them all on his side. Considering she was talking about the Aspects as if she knew them, he figured she was Ysera. He looked at her and asked, "And what do you believe?"

Ysera smiled and said, "Your dreams are hidden from me, shielded by something with more power than even I possess. That makes me curious, and also cautious. I use the dreams of others to see what kind of person they are, and without it I do not have much to reach a conclusion other than hearsay and rumor, which I do not put much stock in."

Harry nodded and replied, "Hearsay isn't a good indicator of anything other than someone's opinion on something, and rumors are always twisted more and more the further they spread." He cocked his head to the side in thought for a moment and then looked down at the whelp in his arms and asked, "So were you sent to spy on me little one?" The little dragonling's eyes widened in surprise and she squawked before hopping out of his arms and flying over to hide behind Ysera's legs, causing Harry to laugh. "I'll take that as a yes." He turned around to his companions, who looked a bit uncomfortable, and said, "It looks like I have some questions to answer. You all don't have to stay if you don't want to." Arko'narin huffed and crossed her arms, glaring at him. Jessir and Shandris looked at each other before agreeing to listen out of curiosity. Harry shrugged and turned back to Ysera and asked, "Mind if we all sit down for the interrogation? It could take a while."

Ysera motioned to the table behind her, and once everyone was settled, she began asking her questions. "So, where did you come from, and how did you get here?"

Harry sighed and said, "I'm from another world. I came here through a portal. It took me quite a few years of study and research though, and I brought my notes and all the information with me, so I doubt anyone from my world can follow me." He snorted and muttered, "Thank Merlin for that."

Ysera cocked her head to the side in confusion and asked, "Why do you seem so glad that no one can follow you here? Did you not have friends or family there?"

"My friends and I just drifted apart. My work took me all over my world and they all settled down and started families. My parents were murdered when I was one, and as far as my relatives go, we don't get along," Harry said flatly, not particularly liking thinking about that subject.

Ysera seemed to sense that, and asked her next question. "How long did it take you to find a way to make the portal here?"

Harry hesitated, he licked his lips and responded, "Twenty years."

Everyone except Jessir looked surprised at that, considering he didn't look much older than twenty. "How is that possible? You don't appear to be more than twenty now, so how old are you really?" Arko'narin asked.

Harry looked at her with a rather serious expression and said, "I'll be forty-one in a few months."

"How did that happen?" Ysera asked curiously, her head cocked to the side and her eyes still closed.

Harry just snorted and smiled humorlessly, replying, "_The Master of Death_, definitely not just a title." At the questioning look on everyone's face, he elaborated. "On my world, there's a story, a fairytale, called _The Tale of the Three Brothers._ Many centuries ago, there were three brothers. Antioch, Cadmus, and Ignotus Peverell were traveling, I don't remember why, maybe on a journey or a quest or simply to get out for a bit, but that doesn't really matter. They came across a river that was too deep to wade across, and to turbulent to swim. This river had claimed many lives, and when the three brothers approached, Death was hidden and waiting to claim three more souls. However, the three brothers used their magic to build a bridge across the river, and began to cross. Death met them half-way across and congratulated them on their ingenuity, and offered them each a gift. Antioch asked for an unbeatable wand, a weapon worthy of one who had cheated death, so Death took a branch from a nearby Elder tree and fashioned him the most powerful wand that would ever be made." Harry summoned the Elder Wand and set it on the table in front of him and continued, "Cadmus, having recently lost the woman he loved, asked for an item to give him power over Death, a way to summon a soul back to the land of the living, both to see his love again and to humiliate Death further. Death took a stone from the riverbank and made it into the Resurrection Stone, and handed it to Cadmus." He took the ring off his finger and set it next to the Elder Wand. "Ignotus, however, was the smartest of the three, and did not trust Death. He asked for an item that would allow him to hide from Death until he was ready. Trapped by her own words, Death handed Ignotus her own Cloak of Invisibility, an item that would hide the wearer from anything, even Death herself." Harry took the invisibility cloak out of his pocket and gently laid it next to the wand and stone.

Harry continued the story, "Now, Death is patient and cunning, and the gifts were not really gifts, they were traps. Time passed, and the brothers eventually went their separate ways. Antioch, in his arrogance, boasted one night in a bar of owning a wand that he forced Death to make for him that was unbeatable. That night, his throat was cut by someone who had heard his boasting, and the Elder Wand was taken from him. Cadmus found only misery, as the Resurrection Stone could bring a soul back to the land of the living, but tearing a soul out of the afterlife is painful for the dead, and they are only a shade of what they were in life. He eventually went insane from not being able to truly be with his love again, and hung himself in order to be with her in the afterlife, and Death claimed another soul. Ignotus, the smartest and most humble of the Peverell brothers, hid from Death his entire life using the cloak, and reached a ripe old age. He eventually gave the cloak to his son, and met Death as an old friend, and departed with her into the afterlife."

Harry picked up the items up and put them away, finishing the story. "Now, the rest was, at the time I first heard this story, just rumor and conjecture. According to legend, if someone were to unite these items, called the Deathly Hallows, they would become the Master of Death. The cloak is the only one that doesn't have a bloody history behind it, and people have tried to unite the Hallows for centuries, but it never would have worked for them. They wanted power, they wanted it to escape Death, to live forever, but the true Master of Death knows that she is inevitable. I was the first person to own all three Hallows at the same time, and to be honest it took quite a few years before I realized something was going on. Now I don't physically age, and apparently I don't stay dead." He snorted and looked at Ysera and said, "I'll most likely outlive everything on this world, not something I'm looking forward to."

Ysera looked at him and said, "That must be quite the burden. But now I think I know why Alexstrasza and I can not sense you. Death surrounds you and shields your mind, correct?"

Harry shrugged and replied, "I wouldn't be surprised if she did. She is a bit possessive, so I doubt she'd want anyone to be able to break into my head. She also seems to refuse to call me by my name, and only refers to me as her Master." Harry saw Arko'narin scowl and filed it away to discuss with her sometime later when they had time and were alone.

"And why are you here?" Ysera asked.

Harry laughed and replied, "Well, originally I was here to find somewhere quiet to live out the rest of my life, but that didn't really work out and things just spiraled out from there. Recently Death asked something of me, a task she wants done, and I agreed. She wants me to send Kil'jaeden and Arthas to her so she can express her displeasure with them."

Ysera leaned back in her chair in thought. It was a moment before she said, "That's a rather large task. Assuming you complete it, what will you do then?"

It was Harry's turn to sit back and think. What _was_ he going to do after? There was no shortage of problems on Azeroth, but did he really want to try to fix them all? Could he really lead the quiet life he wanted after everything he's been through? Could he leave them all to their problems and remove himself completely? Leave them to fix things themselves? He looked over at Arko'narin and thought about what her fate would have been if he had not interfered like he originally planned before coming here. Could he really live with himself if he kept himself out of things?

No, he knew he really couldn't.

Harry sighed and his shoulders slumped. "I don't really know, but it seems that I won't be getting the quiet life I wanted. There are too many problems here, and I couldn't live with myself if I just ignored the world in favor of peace and quiet."

Ysera smiled and said, "That is a good thing. Now, why are you here in particular, and what are you going to do about your little companion," she asked, motioning to the bronze whelp settled next to her chair.

Harry chuckled and said, "I'm actually here for a meeting tomorrow with some of the leaders of the Horde to try and get some support for my task. And as far as the little one is concerned, she's still welcome to travel with us if she wants. It seems I've grown a bit attached to her, I just don't know how I'm going to keep carrying her and get everything done considering she seems to want me to carry her all the time." Upon hearing this, the little bronze dragonling ran over and jumped back into Harry's arms.

Ysera laughed and said, "I'd ask if you were really a dragon hiding in human form, but considering you are from a different world, I doubt that."

Harry just smiled and said, "Yeah, wouldn't that be something." Deciding to switch subjects, he looked down and asked the bronze whelp, "So do you have a humanoid form? It would definitely make things easier on all of us, you know?" The little dragon looked down and acted embarrassed. Harry almost thought she blushed. "You do, don't you? Why am I carrying you everywhere if you could walk with us?" He asked softly.

The little whelp hopped down and tugged on Harry's hand, pulling him towards an alcove in the corner of the building. "I'll be right back," Harry called over his shoulder, letting the little dragon pull him away. The whelp darted around the corner ahead of Harry, and when he turned the corner after her, he came face to face with a woman. She was slim and almost as tall as he was, with lightly tanned skin and blonde hair that fell down to her shoulders and long pointed ears similar to the Night Elves. She had glowing blue eyes, ruby-red lips, and a small nose that fit her face perfectly. She was wearing bronze and dark blue armor that looked to be dragonhide. She had her arms wrapped around herself and was looking down and away from him as if she was embarrassed. Harry reached out and lifted her face to look her in the eye and asked, "What's your name? It seems wrong to call you 'little one' now that I can finally find out."

"Alurmi," she said softly. "I'm sorry for deceiving you, I was ordered to find out about you and I didn't know what else to do and it's been so long since I've been able to be in my dragon form and most of the alliance takes issue with my form because it looks a lot like a Blood Elf but it's not and I was really enjoying having someone actually want to take care of me without wanting something in return and-"

Harry interrupted her high-speed ranting by placing a finger against her lips, causing her eyes to widen and a blush to spread across her cheeks. "Hello Alurmi, I'm Harry Potter, but I suppose you already knew that," Harry said with a chuckle as he pulled his hand away. "Now, are you going to join us as you are or are you going to go back to your other form? I will say however, that if you expect me to carry you while flying, your going to have to keep still, all that shifting and squirming you did really made me worry I was going to drop you."

Alurmi's blush deepened and she said quietly, "I'm sorry, I'll try to be good. It just feels strange to be flying and not doing it myself."

Harry laughed and said, "I know what you mean." She looked at him curiously and he said, "It's a long story, maybe one day. So I take it you want to stay in your other form?"

Alurmi smiled and nodded, saying, "I would prefer it, for now at least."

Harry chuckled and said teasingly, "One would think you just want to spend all day in my arms," causing her blush to deepen even further and spread down her neck. Harry just chuckled again and said, "Go ahead and change back and we'll head back to the others. We still need to make arrangements and get some sleep. We have a long day that starts early tomorrow." Alurmi smiled prettily and changed back to her whelp form, hopped up into Harry's arms and cuddled against him as he headed back around the corner and to the others.


	7. Intentions and Destruction

**Disclaimer:**

I don't own anything related to the rights of Harry Potter or Warcraft.

**Author's Note:**

The poll for Harry's relationship status is still up on my profile if you haven't voted yet. Some of the readers have expressed confusion and concerns about how some characters act in this story, such as Arko'narin being emotionally unbalanced. I decided it would be best to tip my hand a bit, and at the same time see if I could flesh out some of the characters a bit.

Oh, and if your going to bash me and/or my story, at least have the stones to NOT hide behind an anonymous review. Honestly, if you can't own up to your own opinion, what makes you think I'm going to take you seriously?

And on that note: To Zikarn Krais, while I do not agree with _some_ of your points, you have quite a bit of my respect for not hiding who you are when you voiced your opinion. Hopefully this chapter will ease some of your concerns about me 'angling for it'. To be honest I really haven't been trying one way or another, I've spent more time setting some things up for the future than any real planning on Harry's relationship status.

**(Mar. 18th, 2013)** - Minor revisions.

**(Aug. 20th, 2013)** - Reworked and tweaked.

No beta, so all mistakes are my own.

**Publish Date:** Feb. 23rd, 2013

**Update Date:** Aug. 20th, 2013

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

Intentions and Destruction

Ysera's body was sitting at the table in the inn while her mind was traveling through the Emerald Dream to speak with Alexstrasza and the other Aspects about the new arrival. He was a strange individual, and she could not get a proper read on him, and after so long of being able to do so with anyone she met, she found her inability disconcerting. She finally got in touch with Alexstrasza and Kalecgos, but Nozdormu was refusing to join in the conversation for some reason. Maybe because his consciousness was currently traveling the time stream to see what changes Harry's arrival was causing.

"So what did you find out about the new arrival?" Alexstrasza asked immediately, cutting out any chance at small talk.

"Yes, I am most curious about his magic, I have not felt such power in a very long time," Kalecgos added.

Ysera gathered her thoughts and said, "His name is Harry Potter. He is a strange individual, he seems honorable, but my inability to see his dreams makes me wary. I did find out why none of us could get a proper read on him. Apparently Death shields him and his mind from such things."

Alexstrasza growled and spit out, "So he is one of Deathwing's followers."

Ysera shook her head and replied, "I do not believe so. We have all felt the corruption surrounding Deathwing and his followers, and while there is a powerful presence surrounding Harry, it is a pure and primal force, it held none of the corruption we have come to associate with Deathwing. I believe it is truly Death that guards him. He says he holds the title of _Master of Death_, but he gave no real information on what that means other than his body does not age and does not stay dead after being killed."

"Then we burn his body to ash. There will be no coming back from that, I will not allow it." Alexstrasza ground out, finding the very thought of someone who did not follow the cycle to be an abomination.

There was a sudden snort of amusement from behind her, causing her to spin to find the source. The new arrival was an extremely attractive woman in a shimmering black dress that hinted heavily at the wonderful things underneath without ever being considered trashy or whorish. Her black hair matched her dress and her ruby lips were twisted into a cold smile, but her eyes were what drew the attention of the Aspects. They were completely black, a never-ending abyss that sucked at your very soul, an immeasurable void that made them all feel so very small.

Her voice was cold and melodious, echoing and reverberating throughout the dream and freezing them to the bone. "Go ahead and try it little lizard, I will simply remake his body and there is not a damn thing you can do about it. The only thing you will accomplish with such an action is pissing off both myself and my Master."

"I am not a lizard, whelp," Alexstrasza hissed out, beginning to summon up her power to force this new arrival into her place.

Kalecgos, however, looked at the new arrival with curiosity. It was rare for one that wasn't a druid to truly enter the dream, but it was another matter entirely to simply drop in on a conversation between the Aspects like this one without Ysera's direct intervention. "Alexstrasza, calm down. I can feel her power and she isn't even trying to show off, I do not think it would be wise to test her at the moment. Let's find out what she is doing here first."

The new arrival's cold smile grew wider as she said tauntingly, "Yes, listen to the wise one, little lizard. Your full power is simply a fragment of my own." At this, the new arrival flared some of her power out, the sheer force of it caused all three of the Aspects to back up a step in shock. The new arrival pulled back on her display and said in a bored tone, "Now that we have the obligatory pissing contest out of the way, we have much to discuss. Oh, and by the way, I am Death." She suddenly grew very serious and stated coldly, "And if you liken me to that filthy thing that calls himself my Aspect one more time, I will shatter you, do you understand?" The three Aspects nodded slowly, suddenly aware that they weren't the most powerful things present anymore, a truly humbling experience to say the least. Death nodded once in reply and stated, "Good. Now, let's begin."

* * *

Sylvanas was sitting at the desk in the inn, reading over the letter from Harry again and again. In the time since agreeing to meet him and now, she had regained her bearings. The initial meeting with Death and Harry's subsequent letter had thrown her off-kilter so badly, she felt ashamed of how weak she had acted at the time. As soon as she had regained some semblance of control, she had done as much searching as possible for anything that might give her some leverage over him. She had found absolutely nothing, not a scrap, hint, rumor or even myth related to the name Harry Potter or his title, _The Master of Death_. The only thing she could figure was that he was from a different world, much like the Draenei, but that was simply a guess at this point.

She detested being backed into a corner like this. She could refuse his offer, but over the years quite a few of her people had voiced the desire to become one of the living again, and if she was completely honest with herself, she found the thought quite appealing as well. And then there was the fact that he was going to hunt down and kill Arthas, something she had desired with every fiber of her being for a _very_ long time. But being forced to follow someone else was something her pride simply wouldn't stand for.

Then again, what had her pride truly gained her?

She was the leader of a people no one really trusted, with a fate awaiting her that she was terrified of. Then there were the desires of her people to consider. Could she let her pride rob them of something they wanted more than just about anything else? Would they really allow her to continue leading them if she lost the Forsaken the chance to become truly living again? Or would they turn on her and tear her to pieces?

But could she follow someone she had no knowledge of? For all she knew, he could be worse than Arthas ever was. Was she really willing to risk putting her people in the hands of someone like that?

Sylvanas sighed heavily, coming to a decision. She'd swallow her pride for now, no matter how bitter it was. She would pretend to follow like a good little girl for the time being, keep quiet and keep her eyes open for anything that could turn this in her favor. Everyone had _something_ that could be used against them, she just had to be patient and figure out what that was.

* * *

Thrall, Vol'jin, Lor'themar and Baine were discussing the upcoming meeting, specifically their thoughts on this rather mysterious human. They all still vividly remembered the effect he had on Sylvanas, even if she had been more herself since then. Anyone who could cause her to lose the mask she always wore was someone to be cautious with. Sylvanas had only given them the basics of what he wanted from them, and to be honest, they weren't sure it was worth it. After the utter loss at the battle of Wrathgate, the four of them were wary of trusting anyone but the Horde to deal with things, minus the Forsaken. Even after finding out that the traitors were a rogue faction, they were still a bit hesitant to trust Sylvanas or her people without someone there to oversee things.

So far, the only thing they had truly decided on was to be cautious with him, and see how things went. If they decided to help, and that was a big 'if', they were going to get as much as they possibly could out of the arrangement. He was just a human and outnumbered after all, they were sure they could deal with him if it became absolutely necessary.

* * *

Alurmi sighed and shifted again, lying on the roof of the inn. Her mind simply wouldn't stop running and let her sleep. Nozdormu had ordered her to keep an eye on the new arrival, he seemed to believe he was an enemy, maybe an agent of the Infinite Dragonflight. Nozdormu even went so far as to order her to _kill_ him if necessary, but according to what she had heard earlier, he wouldn't stay dead, so how exactly was she supposed to follow that particular order? Did she even _want_ to? He was so nice to her, how could she do such a thing to him? And would an agent of the Infinite really try to _help_ Azeroth? How could the end of Kil'jaeden and the Lich King be anything _but_ good?

Nozdormu had been acting strangely as of late, more paranoid, and with a much shorter temper. Making demands with no explanation as to why. He used to say why he gave a particular order, but now he just demanded practically blind obedience, and that bothered her.

Harry on the other hand, didn't make any demands of her. He actually asked her what _she_ wanted. He had been nothing but kind to her, even when he thought she was just another whelp. He asked if she wanted to come along, instead of just picking her up and taking her. He didn't have to carry her around like he did, but he did it anyway because he seemed to know she enjoyed it.

But going against what she had been ordered to do... Could she really do that? Cut ties with the Bronze Dragonflight completely for the sake of Harry? Not for the first time she wished she were older, more in tune with the time stream, so she could maybe get a glimpse of the future possibilities.

She had the feeling that her loyalties would be heavily tested, and far sooner than she was ready for. And she wasn't absolutely sure where she would stand when it happened, and that worried her more than she cared to admit.

* * *

Jessir and Shandris were sitting on the steps in front of the inn, looking up at the moon, both thinking their own thoughts. The silence was comfortable, and the air was crisp with a pleasant soft breeze. It was a clear, calm night, something that was rare in recent days.

Jessir was worried about her student's sudden possessiveness of Harry. She had always seems quite independent, and to see her practically attached to someone as if her life depended on it was quite disconcerting to say the least, not to mention her rather sudden mood swings. She doubted it was something Harry had done to her, but she wasn't sure enough to ask him about it. She felt like she was gambling with her student's life though, and it bothered her. She was going to keep a closer eye on them both, and hopefully figure out what was going on.

Shandris was thinking more on Harry than anything else. He was a rather intriguing puzzle, one she wanted to solve. Despite all the information he freely gave earlier, she felt there was much more he was holding back. He says he comes from another world, and with the evidence she had so far it was not difficult to believe. He says he came through a portal, but not any technical information about it, where it was, if he could do it again, and nothing about _why_ he left his world to begin with. He carried himself as a warrior, a general, but says nothing about how or why he fought. Was it vengeance? Justice? Simply because he could? Or because no one else _would_? Why did he and his relatives not get along? The Master of Death title... She had no real information on that other than he wouldn't stay dead and that his mind is shielded from even the Aspects, which is a worrying prospect in and of itself. He said he came here for a quiet life, but he really didn't seem like one who would be satisfied with such a thing for very long. If everything went wrong and there were innocent lives on the line, what kind of man would Harry prove to be?

She, for one, wanted to find out before someone's life depended on it.

* * *

Arko'narin was sitting outside, hidden from view, hugging her knees tightly to her chest. She was rocking back and forth and sobbing silently, eyes squeezed shut, trying as hard as she could to block everything out. The incessant whispering in the back of her mind was trying to drive her insane! Sometimes there was enough going on that she could almost pretend it wasn't there at all, but when things were quiet and calm, it was all she could do to ignore it. The only time it really faded away for a while was when she was as close as she could get to Harry. She didn't know why, but when she was in his arms, the whispering just disappeared.

_Need him! Need him to help!_

She was terrified that he would leave one day, leave her alone with this annoying, persistent, deplorable whispering. Considering what it was trying to convince her to do, she was scared that if she was left alone with it long enough, its suggestions might seem like a good idea. The whispering seemed to bounce between absolutely insane and horribly logical.

She knew she needed help. She would ask Jessir first. She was her mentor, she might have some idea about what was going on. Tomorrow, after the meeting, she'd pull Jessir off to the side and talk to her.

_Bad idea! Banished and betrayed you'll be!_

With that decision, Arko'narin stood, wiped the tears from her eyes and went to find Harry. Maybe she could get some peace and quiet from the whispering long enough to get some sleep.

* * *

The man on everyone's mind was currently lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. Alurmi, in her whelp form, had flown in through the window a few minutes ago from wherever she had been and was lying on the pillow near his head. Something was nagging at the corner of his mind, but he couldn't seem to focus on it. It was the same feeling he had whenever something was off, but he didn't know what. He figured it would come to him eventually, but until then, he had work to do. He had a meeting in the morning with a group of people that seemed to hold a grudge against humans in general, and he knew he was going to have to tread carefully.

He hated politics. Reason number four for leaving his world.

Harry heard the door open and he turned his head, quickly spotting Arko'narin come in and quickly shut the door behind her with a soft click. She walked over to the bed Harry was lying on and crawled in with him, slinging an arm and leg over him and pressing herself to his side with a sigh. He just rolled his eyes and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, before slowly drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Harry woke early the next morning, having just finished a short conversation with Death. He stretched and carefully extracted himself from being nearly under Arko'narin. He got ready for the day and put on his armor, having the suspicion that he was going to need it sooner rather than later, and didn't want to waste time changing if that was the case. Once he was dressed, he walked quietly over to the sleeping figures on the bed and shook them gently awake. Arko'narin woke quickly and looked around in a panic before her eyes landed on Harry and she relaxed. Alurmi opened one bleary eye and grumbled, but hopped up into Harry's arms and let him carry her out of the room, followed closely by Arko'narin.

They sat at the table in the center of the inn, joined shortly by Shandris and Jessir. There wasn't much talking, as they had already made their displeasure at meeting the leaders of the Horde known. Harry had convinced them that it was necessary, but they still didn't like it, and by the expression on their faces, they still thought that way.

It wasn't long before Ysera joined them at the table, a bit pale and slightly distracted. Harry almost asked her what was wrong, but decided it was none of his business. If it concerned him, he had no doubt that she would have brought it up.

Harry heard a slight commotion coming from outside, and figured the others had just arrived. He figured he should make as big an impression as he could. Considering how young he looked, any advantage he could get, he would take. He closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them, everyone was startled slightly at the endless black they had become. He loosened his hold on his aura slightly, not enough for it to be visible, but enough that he could let it all out quickly if need be, and waited for the leaders of the Horde to make their appearance.

It took quite a bit of control to not react in surprise at the first two to walk in. While he had seen a few Tauren before, this one was much larger, and very well armored. He had dark brown fur covering his body and sharp black horns curving forward from his skull. He carried a rather large flanged two-handed mace that looked like well taken care of, despite the nicks and scratches on its edges. His eyes however, were calm and wise, something Harry was glad of. The person walking next to him was tall with blue skin, with only three fingers and toes, large ears that stood up and a bright red mohawk on top of his head and a goatee twisted into three braids on his chin. He had two large tusks protruding down from his mouth, and a number of scars on his face, arms and torso. He didn't wear much in the way of armor, but the bow he carried looked positively wicked.

The two moved apart slightly to make room for a third, a large, green-skinned person. He had a robe or something similar on, with an open front at the top and large red beads around his neck, with two dark red braids coming out from under his hood. He had a satchel slung over one shoulder and a large hammer on his hip, his obvious weapon of choice. Upon seeing Harry, he stiffened slightly, but kept walking forward.

The two that walked in behind the trio and took up the flanks were of obvious elven decent, the male had long white hair, part in a topknot and the rest flowing freely down his shoulders. His armor was red and black, trimmed in gold, fit for a king, and Harry almost laughed as he realized he was completely decked out in Gryffindor colors. The greatsword and bow on his back were well made, and one of his green eyes was covered with a red eye-patch.

The moment he laid eyes on the female, he almost lost it. He had a sudden flash of Voldemort, she had the same pale, almost snake-like skin and the same glowing crimson eyes that had haunted his nightmares for years. He forced himself to calm quickly and took in the rest of her appearance. With her hood up, he could barely make out her features. She had full, dark red lips and pale hair that looked slightly brittle, her deep violet cloak was tattered and torn, and her skull-adorned armor hugged her body and exposed a flat, toned stomach. She wore a sword on her hip and carried a dark, vicious looking bow that was well cared for and heavily used. Other than her similarity to Voldemort and the fact that she was dead, she was actually quite attractive, and that thought almost made him visibly shudder a bit. He stood there silently, and waited for them to approach the table.

Sylvanas, for her part, was startled when she saw him and surprised at the sudden and intense rage that flashed across the man's face the moment he saw her, but it was gone almost before she could even register it, replaced with an expressionless mask that almost rivaled her own. His eyes, however, left no room to doubt exactly who he was. This was Harry Potter, _The Master of Death_. His eyes were pitch black, and endless chasm that seemed to pull her in and drown her. She took in the rest of his appearance, the messy black hair, smooth features, and obviously well toned under his armor. Deep down, in a part of her mind she had believed she had buried, she thought he was a bit handsome, which just made her more wary of him. She had thought Arthas was handsome once upon a time as well, and that didn't end well for anyone.

"Please, have a seat," He said, motioning to the empty chairs at the table. He started pointing to the others around the table, making introductions. "This is Arko'narin Ravenstar, Next to her is Jessir Moonbow, on my left is Shandris Feathermoon, and next to her is Ysera, who I believe will be mediating this meeting and ensuring none of us get out of hand, and the little one here is Alurmi."

Once everyone was seated and comfortable, Harry blinked and his eyes faded from black to his normal bright emerald green. He dove into the conversation head-first, deciding on the fly to use similar tactics the Goblins of his world used. "I'm assuming we all know what my exact task is, correct?" At everyone's nod, he continued. "It's a big job, and I'm going to need help from every race on Azeroth. What is it you all want in exchange for said assistance?"

Baine's eyes widened at the bluntness of the statement, and Thrall chucked and said, "That was rather forward. But why should we help at all? The Alliance has done little to make us think that working together will end in anything but disaster."

Harry sighed and sat back. From what he had been told, it would actually be a feat to get them to work together in any form. But he did have an idea. It would work in theory, but the practical application might need some fine-tuning. "I do have an idea on that. It might take some minor adjustments, but how about this. If you decide to help me, appoint one person to lead each race's troops, and they will be the only ones other than myself who can give orders to their group. One Orc to lead the Orc troops, one Tauren to lead the Tauren troops, one Troll to lead the Troll troops, et cetera. They'll be the ones that report to me, and the Alliance side will be structured the same. That way there isn't really any major interaction between the factions other than during battles. And anyone that is willing to be in a mixed group with other races and opposing factions I'll take command of."

Lor'themar leaned forward and said, "It sounds good in theory, but how do we know you won't favor the Alliance over us? You are a Human after all."

Harry snorted in amusement and replied, "I have no ties whatsoever to the Humans or the Alliance. But, in the interest of fairness, I need the help of the dragons as well." Harry turned to Ysera and asked, "Would the Aspects be willing to appoint someone to act as a mediator to keep things fair?"

Ysera thought for a moment before saying, "I believe so. I would have to speak to the others first, however. And I do not know how long it would take to decide on someone."

Harry nodded and looked over at the Blood Elf leader. "Is that acceptable? That way no one faction is favored over another, and a neutral party keeps an eye out for everyone's interests."

The Horde leaders looked at each other for a moment before Thrall said, "I believe that would be acceptable."

Harry nodded once and responded, "I guess that brings me back to my original question. What is it you all want in exchange for assisting me in this task?"

Thrall frowned and said, "Our immediate problem is Garrosh Hellscream, the current Warchief of the Horde. I made the mistake of appointing him when I stepped down to investigate Deathwing's return and see what I could do to fix the damage he caused to Azeroth when he made his presence known. I know now it was a mistake on my part, I believed his blood lust had abated, but he is leading the Horde to ruin in his quest for power and glory, committing mass murder and mindless genocide." Thrall shook his head and continued, "And now that he is leading the Horde, he will refuse to step down, even for me. He will hold the title until he is dead."

Harry sighed and responded, "I take it just killing him and retaking your place is completely out of the question. Is there any precedence for taking control from a current Warchief without causing a riot?"

"I could challenge him to an Honor Duel, but it is a great risk. If I were to lose, then not only would I die, but it would cement his place as the leader of the Horde, and make removing him that much more difficult," Thrall replied.

"He also cheats. He poisoned my father in such a duel," Baine added.

Harry looked over to Thrall and asked, "If a demon killed him, would it make it easier on you to re-assume control of the Horde?"

Thrall nodded and said, "Most likely. The problem with that is a normal demon would not be much of a problem for Garrosh and his Honor Guard. We also have no way of luring both sides to each other and ensuring the result we need to happen."

Harry sat there, rapidly running through scenarios in his mind. He finally hit upon one that could work. "Well, I may have an idea," He began hesitantly. "I remember doing a similar job a while back. If we can lure Hellscream out somewhere secluded, with only a relatively small number of guards, I could use a glamor to look like a demon, and kill him there. Then I cause some havoc, retreat, and the guards can honestly report his death was caused by a demon. It only really puts myself at risk, and will allow you to retake your place as Warchief, all while blaming a faction I think we both want destroyed anyway. You can rally your people under your leadership to strike back at the demons for the act, and it makes it more plausible for you to assist me in my task later."

Vol'jin, who had been silently watching how things played out, decided to speak up. "It be a good plan bruda, and none of us be at risk wit it."

Thrall opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by a loud explosion, followed by shouts and the clashing of steel against steel.

* * *

Outside the inn, the Guardians were outnumbered by a group of purple armored people and both fire and earth elementals. Harry immediately drew his wand and started firing at the ones attacking the Guardians. He noticed the leaders of the Horde wading into battle, so Harry summoned his sword, and followed.

"Who are these people?" Harry asked, banishing a fire elemental into a group of purple clad casters, causing them to scream as they were set of fire.

Thrall swung his hammer with one hand and cast a lightning bolt with the other as he replied, "Twilight Cultists, followers of Deathwing. They desire only one thing, the utter destruction of Azeroth."

Harry frowned at that and started attacking more viciously than before. Any group that wanted to destroy an entire world was getting no sympathy from him whatsoever. Harry turned to say something to Thrall and noticed a Cultist raising his blade and preparing to plunge it into the former Warchief's back. Harry shot off a spell over the Shaman's shoulder, causing the foe's head to explode in a shower of gore. Thrall looked behind him and immediately put together what almost happened, and nodded at Harry in thanks.

The group battled valiantly for what felt like hours, but they were slowly pushed back further and further. Harry was standing beside Shandris when he heard her speak to him over the noise of battle. "We're going to be overrun!" Shandris exclaimed. "Is there anything you can do to end this?" She asked Harry, who was standing next to her firing spells into the crowd of Twilight followers.

Harry hesitated for a moment, before he looked at her, a severe expression on his face, and said, "Buy me some time. When I tell you to, get everyone inside immediately." He then popped away, leaving Shandris cursing and confused at his sudden disappearance.

* * *

Harry appeared inside the inn, and used his wand to find the exact center of the building. As soon as he did, he blasted a hole in the floor, causing some protests from the people inside. He ignored it, and dug through his bag for a trunk. He found the one he was looking for, dropped it on the ground, enlarged it, and pulled out a rune stone, the same kind used to place protections on houses. He used the Elder Wand to start carving into it, placing only a few runes, just enough for what he needed it to do. He set the stone inside the newly made hole, cut his hand to spill enough fresh blood on it to charge it for a bit, and waited to make sure it was starting to work. As soon as he was sure enough, he covered the hole and apparated back outside.

* * *

Five minutes after Harry had left her, a shimmering blue transparent shield went up around the inn. She noticed the Guardians could pass through, but the Twilight minions crashed against it like a wave. Harry popped in next to her and said, "It will only hold for a little bit, I wasn't able to put much power into it with what I'm about to do. Get everyone inside. It's about to get hot out here." He turned to pop away again, but stopped and looked back at her, saying, "Oh, and I'm sorry for burning down part of your forest," before popping away.

Shandris was confused at that statement, but called out, "Everyone, fall back to the inn! Everyone inside now!" She stood outside the doors as the Guardians rushed inside, trusting Shandris' experience. She noticed a few people standing out with her, Alurmi, Arko'narin, Thrall, Sylvanas, and Ysera most notably.

* * *

Harry apparated off to the side of the enemy forces, about thirty feet away on their flank. He raised the Elder Wand into the air and let of an overpowered noisemaker charm, causing many to turn to look for the sudden loud noise. He took a deep breath and steeled himself, reinforcing his _occlumency_ barriers. He knew he'd need every ounce of control he had for this to not backfire and kill him. Harry pointed his wand at the mob, and hissed out a spell he _never_ thought he'd _ever_ use.

"_Fiendfyre."_

* * *

The few people left outside the inn saw Harry appear of to the side of the Twilight Cultists and draw their attention with a loud noise similar to a cannon going off. The mob turned toward him, and he pointed his wand at the mass and said something.

At first they thought he did nothing, but then there was a spark, then a small flame, and with a roaring, billowing _whoosh_, the small flame grew and grew and blazed toward the cultists outside the shield. The fire was white-hot, hotter than even a full-grown wyrm could produce. They could all feel the intense heat from where they were, and they saw the now immense flame take the shape of dragons and serpents and birds of prey and a multitude of creatures they had never seen before, rising and falling under each other in a crashing wave of scorching death. The flames roared and chased after the fleeing Twilight minions, entire gouts splitting off from the main inferno to chase down stragglers and those that ran in a separate direction from the main group. The screams of pain and terror echoed in the valley under Nordrassil, drawing spectators from inside to stare in awe at the raw display of absolute destructive power.

"By Elune," Shandris heard someone mutter. She had nothing else to add, because honestly, what else is there to say in the face of such primal fury?

* * *

In a short few minutes, the screams had died out to nothing, and with a twirl and a sharp flick of his wand, Harry forced the cursed flame to dissipate. The fire died off quicker than any normal flame would have, and when he was sure it was all gone, Harry dropped his arm to his side and simply stared at the destruction he had just caused.

Entire trees had been scorched black, massive patches of earth had melted and turned to glass, the stone path outside the shield leading to the inn had become a river of molten rock, and there wasn't a trace of the Twilight forces left behind, not even ash indicating they had been burned alive. He let out a heavy sigh and began walking back towards the building. The people standing outside moved out of his way as he approached, whispering to each other as he passed.

Harry stopped next to Thrall and asked, "I know we still have much to discuss, but do you mind putting it off until tomorrow? I don't know about you, but I could use some rest after that."

Thrall looked down and saw how tired Harry looked and nodded. He could use some rest himself. "We shall speak later," he said simply.

Harry nodded tiredly and walked into his room in the inn, fell onto the bed, and was asleep before his head even hit the pillow.


	8. Worries and Taunts

**Disclaimer:**

I don't own anything related to the rights of Harry Potter or Warcraft.

**Author's Note:**

I've said it before and I'll say it again. **THERE ARE CHANGES TO CANON IN THIS STORY!** Also, sorry this chapter took so long, I hit a wall and I've only been able to write a little bit at a time, so the next few updates are probably going to be a bit slower than normal.

As a side note, here's a bit of advice I re-learned while working on this chapter. D.D.A.W.

Don't Drink and Write.

**(Mar. 18th, 2013)** - Revision spree hit this chapter. Added quite a bit to it.

**(Aug. 20th, 2013)** - Reworked and tweaked.

No Beta, so all mistakes are my own.

**Publish Date:** Mar. 11th, 2013

**Update Date:** Aug. 20th, 2013

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

Worries and Taunts

_**Death's Realm**_

"_Well, if you were looking to make an impression, I think you did spectacularly, Master," Death said with a grin. "I know I wasn't expecting you to use that particular spell, and when you did, I was half expecting to see it turn on you and turn you into barbecue."_

"_Thanks for the vote of confidence." Harry deadpanned. He looked around for a second and then said, "So what do you want?"_

_Death pouted and looked up at him through her eyelashes, saying, "Can't a girl just want to talk with her Master?"_

_Harry snorted and said, "Not you. You don't do small talk, there's always an agenda with you, so what is it?"_

_Death sighed and rolled her eyes, dropping the innocent act and saying, "Well you're no fun, Master. And here I was hoping you would play along for a bit. Anyway, seeing as you've thoroughly sucked my amusement away, I guess I'll get to the point." She opened her mouth and started yelling at him, hitting him in the arm with every other word, "What were you _thinking_ using something that uncontrollable?! Do you have _any_ idea what would have happened, just how _painful_ it would have been?! How much _work_ it would have caused me?! I _feel_ it every time you die, do you have _any_ idea how much that would _hurt_, you _fucking_ bast-!"_

_Harry was tired of being hit, tired of listening to her make demands and bitch at him, tired of watching his step around her, so he decided to do something that might be a bad idea and could cause him a whole new _world_ of pain, but he did it anyway.  
_

_"SILENCE!"_

_Her jaw snapped shut at the sudden command and her eyes widened in surprise, hands clenched tightly at her sides, her body shaking in rage. "Go ahead and _try_ to do something to me," he hissed out at her. After a second of nothing, Harry snorted and said, "I thought so. You can't do a damn thing to really harm me. I looked up some of these runes in my spare time," He held up his arm, showing the runes that had been seared and tattooed into his skin. "You formally claimed me as your Master with them, and it's binding, right down to my soul. You can't take it back any more than I can release you from it." He thought for a second and added, "And as your Master, I _forbid_ you from taking your anger at me out on anyone or anything."_

_Death's glare intensified and she snarled at him, but kept silent._

_Harry continued, "Why are you so damned angry with me anyway? You've made it rather obvious that you don't give a damn about me personally. And if you're angry because I'm your Master, I should remind you that I wasn't the one that created those damn objects, that's entirely on you. And once you claimed me, there was no going back from it. You _chose_ this, so don't get pissed off at me for things well outside my control." Harry glared back at her and said, "And for the record, I only agreed to your _request_ because it would make this world a better place to live, _not_ because you wanted it. I could just as easily decide to put Kil'jaeden and Arthas in some form of stasis and keep them on ice and well out of your reach for a _very_ long time. According to you, I have the time to spare to do it. Is that something you really want to risk?"_

_Death flinched a bit, stepped back and ground out, "No, Master."_

_Harry nodded once and said, "Good." He straightened up said more calmly, "Now, I'll show you the same respect you show me. Be nice and I'll do the same. Hit me again and I'll knock you around like a pinball, understand?"_

_Death closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, calming herself down. She opened her eyes and sighed out, "Yes, Master."_

_Harry nodded and sighed, saying, "Now, to answer your questions. Fiendfyre was the only spell I could think of at the time that could be cast quickly and would do enough widespread damage to end that particular battle. Yes, I know exactly what would have happened had I not been able to control it, and I'm pretty sure it would be pretty damn painful if it turned on me. No, I did not know how much work me being burned alive would cause you, as you aren't really all that forthcoming with information. I'm sorry you feel it every time I die, and I'll do my best to not let that happen, but this job is quite large, and very risky. It's bound to happen eventually, so either deal with it or withdraw your request. Trust me, it's not like I'm going to go out and search for new and inventive ways to off myself, it hurts me as well."_

"_Just be careful, okay? Pain is a new sensation for me, and it's not one I'm fond of," Death said softly. "And I know it was my choice to bind myself to you, but you needed the boost to be able to deal with my request. I've never had a Master before, and I was unprepared for just how permanent it is. Can you imagine that? Eons upon eons of not having to answer to a higher authority, and suddenly I have a Master who has the ability to control my every action and decision. It's absolutely terrifying. And ever since I bound myself to you, I find myself... _caring_ about what happens to you," She added, wrinkling her nose in confusion. "It's a decidedly strange emotion, caring about someone. I don't want you to be hurt, but I want to hurt you when you do something idiotic and put yourself in serious danger." Death huffed and glared at him lightly, crossing her arms and continuing, "I can deal with sarcasm, playfulness, even lust! But this is why I don't like deeper emotions. They're too contradictory and confusing. They make no sense at all!"_

_Harry chuckled a bit and said, "Sounds like your learning what it's like to be mortal, dealing with those emotions is something we do every day. Maybe now you can see why dodging you is so important to some people, and why we fight so hard for the people we care about."_

_Death huffed, pouted, glared and crossed her arms, stamping her foot and saying petulantly, "I don't like it. It's a decidedly unlikable feeling."_

_Harry just laughed at her sudden display of immaturity, it was something new with her. "That may be, but you're going to have to learn to deal with it."_

_The woman sighed and said flatly, "I know. Doesn't mean I have to like it though."_

_Harry chuckled and said, "True enough. You know, it's rather annoying to have to pretty much die every time you want to talk to me. Is there any way around that?" _

_Death sighed and shook her head. "__I can always inhabit someone for a short time that has recently died in a violent manner if they have the right runes permanently tattooed on their body, but I doubt you'd be willing to do something like that. _The only other reliable way is for me to have some kind of physical presence in the world you're in, an avatar of sorts. Unfortunately that takes rather unique circumstances and an insane amount of power, far more than you currently have at your disposal."

_Harry groaned and rubbed his temples. "Oh well then. Guess I'll just have to get used to this. Anyway, was there anything else you needed or did you just bring me here to yell at me for doing something idiotic?" he asked._

_Death nodded, saying, "Actually yes.__ I need to tell you about your magic, specifically your reliance on a wand. Why don't you do anything wandlessly?"_

___Harry shrugged and replied, "Because every bit of research I've found on it states that prolonged or extensive use of wandless magic damages the body and core."_

___"That would be true for anyone else," Death said. "But being my Master puts you in a unique position. You may look completely Human, but you really aren't anymore. The damaging effects of wandless magic won't affect you any further than requiring a bit more power than using a wand, and with the power boost being my Master and me claiming you as such gave you, it's not something you would notice unless you were actively looking for it. Even then it's negligible."_

___Harry arched an eyebrow and said, "So I don't really need a wand for anything now?"_

___Death nodded and said, "Correct. Well, for the most part. Spells and things that require a great deal of finesse will be far easier with a wand. Raw power can only get you so far with things like that." _

_"Well that's rather useful. I may continue to use a wand regularly however. No need to advertise all of my abilities," Harry said. "Anything else I need to know?"_

___A rather wicked grin spread across her face, and_ she said, "There are things you should know about being my Master, things you are now responsible for and decisions you need to make. Also some of the benefits that come with the position."

_Suddenly, he was a bit worried about what he was getting himself into._

* * *

Jaina Proudmoore walked up the stairs to Kalecgos' chambers, a bit confused and hesitant as to why she was being asked there. Usually if there was something he needed, he would meet in one of the meeting rooms or the library. He never had anyone up to his personal chambers, other than the other Aspects, and even that was rare. She knocked on the door and waited a moment before being told to enter.

"Jaina, please shut the door behind you," Kalec said distractedly, not taking his eyes off of the bowl of liquid in front of him. "I have much to say, and do not wish for any of it to be overheard."

Jaina closed the door with a soft click, wondering who or what he was scrying for. It was not a talent she _excelled_ in, but she was proficient enough in it to do what she needed on the rare occasions she did so. She walked closer and waited for Kalec to either finish or begin speaking. She knew this was important, and most likely extremely delicate, if he was telling her alone instead of bringing it up with the Council of Six, the leaders of the Kirin Tor. While she did respect the rest of the council, they tended to debate endlessly on things, and simply weren't the best at decisive decisions unless it was an absolute emergency.

Kalec began speaking, still not looking away from his scrying. "A few days ago, something happened. I'm still not sure what to classify it as, other than a disturbance, but there was a... new arrival. Someone with an immense amount of power." Kalec finally looked up at her with an intensity she had never seen on his face before, and continued, "Power I have not felt in one person since Magus Medivh or Archmage Antonidas, your mentor. Maybe even more." He waved his hand over his scrying device and an image floated to the surface, a battle at the Nordrassil Inn. "This battle happened yesterday afternoon. Watch the one in the black armor, this one here," Kalec said quietly, pointing to a figure that was casting spells with effects that were... disturbing to say the least (seeing a man vomit his intestines and then those intestines strangle nearby enemies was something that turned her stomach a bit), all at a speed that was simply astonishing. She saw he only used a relatively small number of offensive spells that were quite effective, but he conjured numerous objects for defense and transfigured things into living creatures that he directed to attack. He moved with a fluidity born of extensive combat and wielded a sword just as well as his wand, and she found herself entranced with his capabilities. This was magic she had never seen or heard of before anywhere on Azeroth.

She noticed that he was human, and a young one at that, but he was fighting alongside the leaders of the Horde, even defending them from attack, something that was rare in and of itself. Suddenly he disappeared from the field, peaking her curiosity. Based on his actions so far, he didn't seem like one to run away, so what exactly was he doing? A few moments later, a shield went up around the inn, and a few moments after that, he appeared off to the side of the mob.

The conflagration that followed was as awe-inspiring as it was worrying. Something like that would have usually taken more than one archmage to cast, and even then it would have taken far longer than the scant few seconds it took him. If he allied himself solely with the Horde... The Alliance could be in serious trouble. After a few moments the fires died out unnaturally fast, giving a clear view of the destruction it caused in such a short amount of time.

"Where did he learn such magic? I'm sure the High Council would have heard of such an individual long before now," Jaina asked, looking at Kalec intently. "Is he one of the Blue Dragonflight?"

Kalec shook his head and replied, "No, he is not one of mine. I have spoken to Ysera, and she has talked to him. Apparently, he claims to be from another world. Seeing him in action, and seeing his magic, I am inclined to agree." Kalec shook his head and brushed his blue hair out of his eyes, sighing, "He is an anomaly, and we have precious little information about him. Ysera cannot access his dreams, Alexstrasza is unable to sense him, and according to Nozdormu, his arrival twisted the time line so much that he is spending quite a bit of time trying to find out if his arrival is a good thing or not. I find myself absolutely curious about him. He wields magic so naturally that I would believe he was _born_ with it." Kalec looked at her and continued, "He has a task ahead of him, one that could change Azeroth completely and I believe for the better, but he will need a lot of help doing it. You have a rather uncanny ability to read people, so I want you to go and see what else you can find out about him. His motives and desires, anything that might give us all a better grasp on what kind of man he is and why he does what he does, as well as what he might do in the future."

"What kind of person do _you_ thing he is?" Jaina asked.

Kalec looked thoughtful for a moment before replying, "I believe he does what he truly believes is right. whether or not that coincides with our view of right and wrong is a different matter entirely. I don't think it differs too far from our views, but I also think it would be best to be cautious and observe for a bit. If all goes well, I think he could be a very good addition to the Kirin Tor."

Jaina nodded slowly and said, "Alright, I'll do it. I take it this is quite a delicate situation?" Seeing Kalec's nod she continued, "Where will I find him?"

"From what I was told, he will be at the Exodar soon. You should be able to get there before him and meet him at the entrance, before his meeting with Prophet Velen," Kalec replied, surprising Jaina.

Jaina nodded absently, thinking of what she needed to gather for her trip, and what she needed to take care of beforehand. She started walking towards the door, turning back suddenly and asking, "What exactly is the task ahead of him?"

Kalec looked at her for a moment before saying, "The complete and utter destruction of Kil'jaeden and the Lich King, along with their followers."

Suddenly, she was a bit worried about what she was getting herself into.

* * *

The sun rose the morning after the battle, finding Sylvanas leaning against the balcony looking over the water behind the inn, lost in thought. She still had no idea what kind of person Harry was, and was trying to think of a way to find out. She was hesitant to put one of her people under his command, after the disaster of having some of her people betray her, she wasn't sure who she could trust enough with something this delicate that didn't already have their own assignments. She had briefly considered pulling Captain Areiel out of Northrend, but there wasn't a good candidate to replace her just yet. So far, it was looking like Sylvanas herself would need to keep an eye on Harry, she knew Nathanos could handle the administration duties in Undercity for a while while she was away, he always did, but he simply didn't possess the necessary subtlety to coerce information and loyalty from someone they needed to become an ally.

She smiled a bit as she remembered the sheer destruction Harry caused yesterday. He destroyed so many of their enemies in just a few short moments. Even if he was only capable of using that a few times before needing rest, it was still devastating. If she could manipulate or convince him to ally with the Forsaken over everyone else, and use that power in their favor... She was starting to have a few ideas, using him as a central destructive figure. The question now is what would get him to favor her people over all others?

She knew she had to be extremely careful in her manipulations, having them backfire on her would see that power used _against_ them, and that would be absolutely disastrous.

Suddenly, she was a bit worried about what she was getting herself into.

* * *

Harry woke up slowly, the now familiar weight of Arko'narin making him sigh a bit as he carefully climbed out of bed. He stretched and looked down, noticing that he was still dressed in his armor from the day before. He was starting to think it was simply safer and more convenient to stay in his armor instead of changing all the time. Hopefully, that would change in time, but until then, he figured he just better get used to wearing it a lot.

Although, seeing as this world used far more physical weapons than his old world did, he really needed to look up some runes and enchantments for that particular kind of protection. He skipped it before seeing as most of the dark wizards and witches wouldn't think of using a physical weapon, and after the arrow incident in Darnassus, he was seeing a pretty big flaw in his protections.

_Hooray, more research_, Harry thought dryly. _Just what I need on top of everything else._

Checking himself over and making sure all of his knives and wands were still in place, Harry called for Dobby and asked him to get breakfast ready for the people in the inn. A good meal after yesterday's chaos would do everyone good. He dug a couple of books on runes and enchantments along with his notebook, and walked out of the room, making his way to the table he met everyone at yesterday. He sat down at the table and opened the notebook to a blank page, flipping through the rune books a page at a time looking for information on physical protection runes, absently thanking Dobby when he popped in with a cup of tea. He sat there working for a while when he was joined by someone he didn't expect.

Sylvanas sat down across from him and just watched him flip through books, writing occasionally, with a feather of all things, in a leather-bound notebook. "So what are your plans for after this meeting?"

Harry glanced up at her and continued flipping through his books, answering, "I have another meeting soon. After that, I'm not sure. Why do you ask?"

Sylvanas shrugged slightly, seeming to not care, and said, "Just curious."

Harry snorted lightly, not believing her for a second. "Soon, I'll need to find somewhere to set up a base." He looked up and pinned her with a piercing expression, as if her entire being was laid out before him, almost unnerving her. "If I call on you to help with that, will you show up?"

She looked at him seriously, and replied, "That depends. What's in it for me?"

Harry set his quill down gently and leaned forward. "What is it you want?"

"Proof," She said quickly. "I want proof that you can actually restore my people and myself. For all I know, that is nothing more than an elaborate ruse, and considering you don't have to do anything until after all is said and done, I want to know that you're actually capable of following through before putting the Forsaken at risk."

Harry looked at her for a second before his eyes went out of focus in thought. After a moment he spoke, "Deal. One person, you choose who, but not you." He grinned at her slightly startled expression and continued, "For all I know, you care more about yourself than you do your people and will back out completely after you get what you want, and I won't risk losing that particular bargaining chip."

Sylvanas scowled slightly. She didn't really think that he would be stupid, but she had to try at least. She smirked and said, "Can't blame a girl for trying."

"Sure I could," Harry responded quickly. "But that's not the point. You bring one other person with you, and I'll restore them. They don't have to participate in acquiring wherever I decide to set up shop, but I might be more grateful if they did." Harry tilted his head to the side in thought and continued, "It'll also give you a chance to provide proof to your people that I'm serious about this."

Sylvanas thought for a moment. It was somewhat decent as proof, but... "Let me bring one other, to act as a witness. While my people do trust me, having a second voice would be beneficial." At Harry's nod, she said, "Then we have a deal. I'll assist you in acquiring a base right after you prove you can do what you say you can do."

Harry nodded and picked his quill back up, returning to his work. Out of sheer curiosity, she looked closer at what he was writing, seeing various drawings with meticulous detail, arrows pointing to specific areas, and notes in a language she didn't understand. She was quite curious as to what it all was, as quite a bit of it looked a bit like the designs the Death Knights engraved their weapons with, just far, _far_ more intricate. This made her frown a bit. That was a skill passed down by the Lich King to his Death Knights, and even he didn't have things this detailed. If he was once in league with Arthas...

"What is that you're doing?" Sylvanas asked, a bit harsher than she originally intended.

Harry didn't bother looking up and answered absently, "Looking up which runes would go best with specific enchantments. Correcting an oversight." He finished up what he was writing and gently closed his books, picked up his cup of tea and leaned back in his chair, looking at Sylvanas. "Why do you ask?"

"Because that is a skill used exclusively by Arthas' Death Knights," Sylvanas spit out. His placidity about such things was quickly becoming annoying.

Harry raised one eyebrow at her and said flatly, "And that concerns me, why?"

Sylvanas scowled and ground out, "Because it makes you appear to be or have been in league with _him_."

Harry cocked his head to the side and looked at her. "So you refuse to utilize an extremely useful and highly versatile skill because of one man?" It might not be the best idea he'd ever had, but getting a dig in on this woman was going to be enjoyable. He couldn't wait to see just how bad she would explode with his next statement. "Exactly how long are you planning on letting Arthas control your decisions?"

* * *

Thrall was standing outside, just beginning his morning meditations, when an angry roar and a crash dragged him out of it. Turning with a sigh, he hefted his hammer and moved quickly into the large central area of the inn, where he joined the quickly growing crowd staring in shock at the slightly amusing and equally disturbing sight.

_Crash!_ "Hold still so I can cut you to pieces!"

_Pop! _"Such anger, you have."

_Thunk!_ "Get back here you little bastard!"

_Pop!_ "Fear leads to anger."

_Thwack!_ "Stop moving around!"

_Pop!_ "Anger leads to hate."

_Thud!_ "Why won't you hold still?!"

_Pop!_ "Hate leads to the dark side."

_Crash!_ "Face me like a man, you coward!"

_Pop!_ "Cookies, the dark side has. Also, herpes."

_Thunk!_ "Stop trying to run away!"

_Pop!_ "Do or do not, there is no try."

_Thwack!_ "When I catch you, I'm going to kill you slowly!"

_Pop!_ "If you catch me, not when. So far you aren't having much luck."

_Thud!_ "Damn it! I'm going to tie you down and spend weeks torturing you!"

_Pop!_ "Never knew you had such a kinky streak, Sylvie!"

_Crash!_ "I'm going to start with cutting your manhood off and feeding it to a Felhound!"

_Pop!_ "If you really wanted to handle my bits you just need to ask nicely, Sylvie."

_Thunk!_ "That's not what I meant and you know it, you little bastard!"

_Pop!_ "Hey now! I'm anything but little Sylvie."

_Thwack!_ "Stop calling me that!"

Ysera walked into the room and pushed her way to the front, taking in the scene in front of her before roaring out, "What is going on here!"

The sudden noise caught everyone's attention and stopped both Harry and Sylvanas, who turned towards her. Seeing the large crowd behind her caused Sylvanas' eyes to widen and Harry to grin and say, "Sylvie here was helping me perfect my taunting technique." Sylvanas scowled at the use of the nickname and swung at him one more time, causing Harry to pop away again and reappear on her other side. "See?"

Sylvanas growled and tightened her grip on her sword, trying to calm down and not let him infuriate her any further. He seemed to have a talent for utterly destroying the icy mask she wore, and if she was going to deal with him for any length of time then she knew she would be putting her patience to the ultimate test.

But right now, all she wanted to do was find a way to beat him to death with his own skull. Even if it didn't seem physically possible, she was _going_ to find a way.

Ysera sighed and rubbed her temples. She had a feeling that dealing with these two would be a constant headache. She turned around and addressed the crowd behind her, "Everyone out! You all have duties to attend to and they do not include standing here staring at this spectacle," causing everyone to move quickly out the door and off to do whatever they were doing before they were attracted to the noise inside. After a moment the only ones left in the room were the ones there for the meeting.

Harry flicked his wand into his hand and waved it, repairing the room and putting everything back in order. He sat down in a chair at the table and said, "Well, since everyone's here already, any objections to getting started?" Alurmi chirped and flew over to Harry, landing in his lap and curling up, rumbling in contentment as he scratched her scales.

After everyone had taken their seats, Harry spoke up. "I just have one quick question. Doesn't really affect anything, other than satisfying my curiosity." He tilted his head to the side and looked around the table at everyone, saying, "Who was it that decided to tempt fate concerning this meeting?"

Baine and Vol'jin snorted and laughed while Thrall just shook his head and chuckled. Even Sylvanas smiled a bit, even if it went unnoticed by all but Harry. Thrall sighed and said, "I did, but how did you know?"

Harry shrugged and said, "Educated guess. If it had been someone coming after us, I would have assumed differently. An assault like yesterday, where none of us were the target and it was just bad timing, leads me to believe someone just didn't know about my luck and unknowingly tempted fate." He leaned over and whispered loudly to Arko'narin, "She has it out for me you know." He sat back and said in a more normal voice, "Okay, so far we've agreed on basic troop structure, having a neutral mediator, and a tentative plan for getting Thrall back in power, correct?"

Thrall nodded and said, "That is correct."

* * *

That evening, Harry was sitting in his room alone, writing notes and observations about the people he'd met and interacted with so far. So many things to deal with, so many different people wanting different things, he wasn't sure how he was going to go about it. He wanted to get this task done as quickly as possible, but it was looking more and more like it was going to be at least a few years before the end, especially if today's meeting was any indication.

After hours of discussion, very few things had been agreed on, and Harry was rapidly remembering why he hated politics. Granted this meeting was calmer than most he had with diplomats and politicians, but it was still tiring to sit and try and hash out agreements with people who disliked humans as a whole. Tentative arrangements had been made, and the only thing that was concrete at the end of the day was agreeing with everyone to meet at a later date for more discussions. He didn't feel like he had accomplished anything at all.

There were only two things he was sure of at this point. One, he needed to find a base of operations quickly. Two, Sylvanas was a manipulative little bitch. Although he had to admit, she was damn good at it, she made Dumbledore look like a retarded monkey playing checkers compared to her. Now he just needed to figure out what her endgame was, and wait for the perfect time to confront her and twist things in his favor.

She might be good at manipulations, but no one in this world had any experience with _legilimency_. He was keeping that skill quiet. It was far too useful to expose without a damn good reason.

Looking back over his notes, he was starting to think that everyone was trying to manipulate him in some way, or they were trying to be subtle and interrogate him. He needed information, he needed it quickly, and it needed to be unfiltered.

In short, he needed a spy.

Harry called for his friend and waited for him to show up. When he did, he turned to him and said, "Dobby, I have a job for you."

* * *

Jessir was standing outside, thinking over what she had seen and heard during the meeting. Harry seemed willing to work with everyone present, and he seemed rather careful about giving too much or giving something that could potentially offend another party. He seemed to defer to Shandris when something that affected the Night Elves came up, not surprising given the fact that she was the leader of the Sentinel army, and he was perfectly willing to accept the fact that she couldn't make concrete decisions without the approval of Tyrande.

He actually managed to convince Shandris to consider working with the Orcs as long as there was an intermediary (at this point most likely himself), an achievement in and of itself considering the long history of aggression between the two races. He pointed out quite a few things that would benefit both sides with fairly little being conceded. If he continued along the same path he was on now, he might actually be able to broker a tentative cease-fire between the two races in time. He seemed to know that peace was a far off dream and something that was simply impossible given the current climate, but even a general halt to official hostilities was a massive thing and not something to be scoffed at.

She was interrupted in her thinking by Arko'narin. She looked pensive, almost scared. Jessir tilted her head to the side in curiosity and asked, "What's wrong, Arko?"

Arko'narin wrapped her arms around herself and hesitated, trying to ignore the whispers in the back of her mind telling her that this was a horrible idea, that she would be run out and banished from her people. After a moment she spoke softly, saying, "I need to talk to you about something. I know you're wondering why I've been so attached to Harry, especially given my desire to remain independent. A few days into my captivity, I started hearing things, a whispering in the back of my mind, telling me to do horrible things. I do my best to ignore it, and I can for the most part if I'm busy doing something, but it's getting louder and more insistent." She looked down and continued, "The only time it's absolutely quiet is when I'm as close to Harry as I can get."

Jessir grabbed Arko'narin by the shoulders and said gently, but firmly, "Arko, this is something that should have been brought to my attention immediately. I believe I know what is happening, but we will need to confirm this with Lady Whisperwind." At Arko'narin's panicked look, Jessir continued, "No, Arko. This is serious, and she must be told. she will help you, but this needs to be reported. Do you think Harry has anything to do with this?"

Arko'narin shook her head, saying, "Not at all. It started days before he arrived, and the voice wants me to... recruit him I guess would be the best word for it. If he had anything to do with it, wouldn't it be the other way around?"

Jessir nodded, sighing in relief. She was starting to like Harry, she would hate to have to try and kill him now. Not like she could keep him dead for long she thought with a small snort of amusement. "I didn't think he did, I just wanted to be sure. For now, stay close to Harry if it truly helps. We will go to Darnassus tomorrow with Shandris and meet back with Harry later at the Exodar."

Arko'narin nodded, glad that the voice was wrong so far and that the possibility of getting help truly existed.

* * *

The next morning found Harry packing everything up and getting ready to head to the Exodar, home of the Draenei. He and the Night Elves he was traveling with would portkey back to Lor'danel and he and Alurmi were going to take a boat from there to Azuremyst isle. Shandris, Jessir, and Arko'narin were going back to Darnassus to give their reports about him and the meeting and gather some supplies. They told him they would catch up with him at the Exodar a day or two later if everything went well, and that they would get in touch with him if they were going to be any longer than that. Hopefully things would go better with the Draenei, and Meridia should have at least some information for him on a place to set up a permanent presence.

He was really hoping to find somewhere that could be cleaned out and fixed up, instead of a location where he would have to build something from the ground up. While building it from the start would give him the chance to set everything up the way he wanted it, it would also cost quite a bit more and take quite a bit longer, even with magic to help.

He slung his backpack over his shoulder and looked around one last time, making sure he didn't leave anything lying around. Satisfied that everything was packed and ready, he walked out of the room, got everyone together, and portkeyed them all off to their next destination.

Knowing what to expect, Harry was the only one to land on his feet. He chuckled as he looked down at the mass of tangled limbs and started pulling his companions to their feet.

"I think that might be worse than your teleportation," Arko'narin said quietly, looking a bit sick. She bent over and took a few deep breaths to settle her stomach and said, "I think I'll just take a flight next time."

Jessir just nodded in agreement.

Shandris looked a bit pale, but was otherwise fine. She looked at him and said quietly, "Not the worst thing I've ever experienced, but it definitely ranks high on the list."

Harry smiled and said, "It took me years to learn how to arrive standing up with these things. But in all honesty, they are quite useful for groups to cover large distances in a short amount of time."

"Agreed, but that doesn't mean it's comfortable," Jessir said. While she could see the benefits of such travel, mage portals were far easier on the stomach, if more restrictive in where they can go.

Harry picked Alurmi up and held her, scratching her scales as she groaned. "So the three of you are heading to Darnassus, correct?" He asked. At their nod, he decided he could get one in and said, "I could make a portkey to take you there." The wide-eyed and fearful looks on Arko'narin and Jessir's face made him laugh.

Shandris nudged his shoulder and pointed at a boat. "That one will take you to Azuremyst Isle. Simply follow the path and you will see the entrance to the Exodar, you can't miss it."

Harry nodded and said, "I'll see you three in a few days. I'll be at the first inn I come across."

"There should be one just as you come down the main entrance ramp and into the city proper," Shandris replied with a slight grin. "But either way, you'll be one of the only humans there, so we'll find you."

Harry nodded again and walked onto the boat and down into the hold. He set Alurmi down and she changed back into her Elven form before tugging him over to a bench against the wall and pulled him down next to her, dropping her head onto his shoulder with a small sigh. They sat in silence for a bit as the boat started to move, and after a moment Harry asked, "So what do you want to do to pass the time?"

Alurmi looked up at him and grinned, saying, "Why don't you tell me about yourself?"

Harry shrugged and said, "Not much to tell really. Lived with my aunt and uncle in my early years. Went to school to learn magic. graduated, got a job, got tired, came here."

Alurmi frowned and said, "Well that's not very informative." After a moment of silence she huffed and continued, "Fine, I'll ask more specific questions. Why did you live with your aunt and uncle?"

She felt Harry tense a bit and he said, "Because my parents were dead."

"Oh." Alurmi decided a change of subject was in order, so she asked, "Well what were your aunt and uncle like?"

"Unpleasant."

"Did you have any friends growing up at least?"

"No."

Alurmi sighed and asked, "What was your school like?"

At this, Harry smiled, and began telling her about Hogwarts, the castle with the moving staircases and talking paintings, the ghosts and Peeves the poltergeist, his two best friends in school, the teachers he liked and the ones he didn't, his classes, a number of hilarious accidents and pranks. Through the whole thing, she looked at Harry, sitting there smiling, remembering good times, but she could see in his eyes that something horrible had tainted the entire experience for him, they were so very sad. There were massive holes in his stories, times where he'd hesitate and then talk about something else, things he glossed over.

So she smiled and nodded, ignored the holes and wondered if she would be able to ask a question about his old life that didn't hurt him in some way.

By the time the boat was close to it's destination she realized that she might never be able to.

* * *

Harry walked off the boat that afternoon, carrying Alurmi in his arms as usual. On the way to the Exodar she told him she wouldn't be able to change into her humanoid form because it looked quite a bit like a Blood Elf, and the Draenei would probably kill her on sight before they had a chance to explain.

Not really something either of them wanted to risk.

Standing at the beginning of the path towards the Exodar was a woman with long blonde hair and icy blue eyes. Her clothes were purple and white, with a top that exposed her midriff and a skirt that hung off her hips and flowed down around her long legs to just barely brush the ground. She was leaning on a staff and was watching the people getting off the boat, as if waiting on someone.

As Harry got close enough, she side-stepped and stood in front of him and said, "You must be Harry Potter. My name is Jaina Proudmoore."

Harry stopped walking and looked at her. She seemed nice, but he had no idea why she would be waiting on him to arrive here. From what he had been told, she was either in the mage city of Dalaran in Northrend or her home on Theramore Isle. He figured that if she came all the way out to meet him, she probably wanted something. Harry sighed and shifted Alurmi's weight from one arm to the other to scratch her scales and said, "That would be correct. Unfortunately I'm in a bit of a rush at the moment, so do you mind walking while you tell me what it is you want from me?"

Jaina nodded and fell into step next to Harry. She was quiet for a bit, considering his wording. From what Kalec had told her, he hadn't been in Azeroth for long, so either everyone he's met so far wanted something from him, or he was naturally suspicious. She looked at him carefully, the way he walked and the way his eyes took in everything around him, how he looked everyone over in assessment, survival habits ingrained over long periods of time, and decided it was most likely a combination of both. After a moment more, she spoke. "I saw the battle you participated in at Nordrassil. That last spell you cast was... awe-inspiring, but I'm particularly interested in your skills with conjuration and alteration. Would you be willing to teach others your magic?"

Harry stumbled a bit and turned towards her. "You want me to teach?" He thought for a moment, remembering how much fun he had teaching the DA. He shook his head and said, "I won't be able to do much teaching for a while yet, there are things I have to do first."

Jaina nodded, already aware of this and said, "Kil'jaeden and Arthas, a massive task for one so young. However, I notice you didn't say no."

Harry grinned, saying, "Well I do miss teaching, and I'm not that young. Most likely older than you in fact, considering I'm forty." That surprised her. He really was older than her, but he didn't appear to be more than twenty. He looked at her with a serious expression and continued, "However, you must understand that there are some things I know that will never be taught. The spell you referred to is one such thing. It is far too easy to cast, and far too difficult to control. It requires a certain mindset and absolute control over your emotions. It's a razor-thin line that is difficult to walk. Too much or too little, and it will turn on you and kill you quicker than you can scream, because it _is_ sentient. That was the first, and hopefully only, time I've ever cast it. I've only met five or six people that could control it where I'm from, and all but one were evil. It's called cursed flame for a reason."

Jaina looked at him with an intense expression and said, "Then why did you use such a spell?"

Harry sighed and replied, "Because it was the only spell I could come up with quickly that would end things. The guards were tiring and we were being pushed back. We couldn't keep up the pace we set at the beginning of the battle for much longer, and we were still outnumbered. It was either that or risk the lives of everyone there, so I shielded the inn and had someone get the defenders inside and used it. If it went bad, the shield would have held long enough, and I would have been the only one to die from it, other than the Twilight Cultists of course."

"I see," Jaina muttered. Him withholding magical knowledge would not go over well with the Kirin Tor, but she could see why he would make such a decision. Maybe he would change his mind in time and with the right restrictions placed on the information. Perhaps she could start the process now, or at least find out why he was so hesitant to add some things to the great library. "What do you know of the Kirin Tor?"

Harry shook his head and said, "Absolutely nothing. Why?"

"Because I was hoping to sound you out about assisting the organization in some of its endeavors," Jaina said with a slight grin. "The Kirin Tor is an organization dedicated to researching and cataloging every single spell, artifact, and magical item known to Azeroth. There is a long history behind them, but that is the basis of the Kirin Tor's mandate."

Harry sighed and said, "While that may be a respectable endeavor, and I might have agreed in my earlier years, I know now that some things should stay lost, some spells simply should not exist at all, some magics aren't useful in any sense, even from a research perspective."

"While I do believe access to some things should be tightly controlled, I think everything is useful, even if it's simply as an example of what _not_ to do," she replied.

Harry smiled and said, "I had a friend much like that. I think for now we should just agree to disagree on this particular point, maybe pick it up again when we both have the time to devote to it."

Jaina nodded, actually looking forward to such a discussion. She was glad he wasn't overbearing or belligerent with his opinions, and was willing to keep an open mind and respect the views of another. So far, he was turning out to be quite pleasant, and she could see him fitting in well with quite a few members of the Kirin Tor. She might have to consider putting forth his name for recruitment one day.

They continued walking in silence, heading through the main entrance to the Exodar and finally into the city itself. Harry stopped and stared at the sight before him. This place was huge! And from what he had been told, it was a _ship_! After a moment more, he shook his head and pulled out his wand, muttering a spell under his breath.

Jaina watched his wand spin around in his hand before pointing off to the inn on the right. She followed him as he walked inside and sat at the bar. He didn't show any outward surprise at the appearance of the Draenei people, other than a split-second widening of his eyes. She almost laughed at him when he had the same reaction as almost every male she had met when he saw a female Draenei, although he was far more subtle and kept his eyes from wandering for more than a few seconds. She might not have noticed at all if she hadn't been studying him on the walk in. He was watching the people come and go, seeming to be waiting on someone. He stood suddenly, saying he'd be back soon, and walked over to an attractive and rather young Night Elf dressed in chainmail and carrying a few books, along with a backpack that was crammed full and almost bursting at the seams.

Harry walked over and gently took the stack of books out of Meridia's hands with a grin, causing the woman to smile widely and blush a bit. "How are you?" He asked, "Been keeping busy, I see."

Meridia blushed further and replied, "After delivering your message, I figured I'd get started on trying to find a location for your base. I've been compiling notes on different places, both areas ready to be built on and places that were already built but abandoned by the original owners." She followed him over to a booth in the corner and sat down, setting her bag next to her and pulling out a small stack of parchment.

"You never answered my first question," Harry said, sitting down across from her and setting the books off to the side, gently sliding her notes over to join them. "How are you?"

Her smile dropped slightly and she said softly, "I'm okay I guess. I miss Darnassus, but considering how I was being looked at after-" Meridia shook her head and said, "It's probably for the best that I'm gone."

"Anything I can do to make things easier?" Harry asked gently. While he didn't really feel guilty about her shooting him in the back, he did feel a bit bad for her being practically run out of her home.

Meridia just shook her head a bit and said, "Not really. Just need time and something to keep busy with. Something else to focus on."

"Well, I do have something for you to do." Harry scratched absently at Alurmi's scales as he continued, "Other than this, once I get a base of operations, I'll need someone to take over researching various topics and things and give me the information I need to know without the things that simply don't matter at the time. So far, you're in the lead for that particular job."

Meridia blushed again and smiled brightly. Research was a task she really enjoyed, and working for Harry so far had been fun. She looked down and for the first time noticed the small bronze whelp curled up in his lap, rumbling quietly as he scratched it's scales. She looked back up at Harry in confusion and asked, "Where did the whelp come from?"

Alurmi opened one eye and glared at Meridia, causing Harry to chuckle a bit and say, "She found me in Felwood when we stopped on the way to Mount Hyjal. She told me that she's supposed to be spying on me, but all she does is ride around in my arms and demand to be scratched."

Alurmi turned her glare to Harry, and Meridia asked in confusion, "Doesn't it defeat the purpose of spying on you if you know about it?"

"Most likely, but she told me up front that she was sent to find out about me. Nothing really nefarious about that," Harry said with a shrug, both of them missing Alurmi's guilty look. "Anyway, on to business. What have you found out so far?"

Meridia slid her notes over and started sifting through them, saying, "Well, like I said earlier, I've been making notes on different locations, places that you could build a base on and locations you could appropriate for your use, most of the abandoned places are most likely overrun and currently inhabited by rather unwelcoming denizens, however."

Harry nodded, saying, "I pretty much figured that would be the case. I'd prefer something that we could appropriate though, building up a base from the ground up would probably take too long."

"Well, there aren't many choices in that case," Meridia said, sifting through her notes. "Most of the places that are abandoned are rather important to one race or another, and they might take offense to you just moving in. Stromgarde Keep is one such place. The League of Arathor will not appreciate you taking their city as your own, and will most likely end up appealing to King Wrynn to get it back. Durnholde Keep is taken over by a different faction at least twice a year, and it's in such a state of disrepair that it would simply be easier and safer to take it all down and rebuild, which defeats the purpose of appropriating an existing location."

Harry nodded and replied, "That's correct. So what else is there?"

Meridia hesitated before licking her lips and saying nervously, "Well, if you wanted a location that is at least somewhat neutral and already partially fortified, there's the Ivory Tower of Karazhan, however no one has returned from there alive since the death of Medivh. It's intact for the most part, well fortified and easier to defend than most because of it's placement in Deadwind Pass. It's also built on a nexus of ley lines-"

Harry's eyes widened and he cut her off, saying, "How many ley lines? Is it stable? Who built it and when?"

Meridia stuttered a bit at the sudden rapid-fire questions and shifted quickly through her notes, saying, "It's still structurally sound, at least that's what every report I've found claims. As far as I can tell, no one knows who built it or when. As far as ley lines go... All of the ley lines on Azeroth lead to a location under Karazhan."

Harry sat back, his eyes shifting side to side rapidly in thought. After a moment he looked at Meridia and said, "That's the one. We're taking Karazhan."


	9. Recruitment Part One

**Disclaimer:**

I don't own anything related to the rights of Harry Potter or Warcraft.

**Author's Note:**

Just so you all know, most of the story went through some revisions. Added around 6,200 to the total word count. Chapters One and Eight got hit the hardest, so you might want to check it out and see it in its new and improved form.

No Beta, so all mistakes are my own.

**(Aug. 20th, 2013)** - Reworked and tweaked.

**Publish Date:** Mar. 18th, 2013

**Update Date:** Aug. 20th, 2013

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

Recruitment Part One  


_Harry sat back, his eyes shifting side to side rapidly in thought. After a moment he looked at Meridia and said, "That's the one. We're taking Karazhan."_

* * *

The blood quickly drained from Meridia's face. She figured he would say that, she knew even the possibility of a nexus was just too good for any magic-user to pass up, but she was worried. "Harry, _no one_ has come back from that place in almost thirty years. Entire raiding parties have been slaughtered trying to take that tower," she said quietly, trying to impress upon him her desire to see him find somewhere, anywhere else. She knew it was a futile wish, she could see that he was set on this course of action, but she had to try. "There are other places that would be easier, safer, to take."

Harry cocked his head to the side, still scratching at Alurmi's scales. "Then why did you offer it as a choice if you didn't want me to take it?" he asked, genuinely curious about her motives.

Meridia sighed and said, "Because it was _an_ option. Even if I think it's a horrible one." She looked down and continued, "I told you I'd do my best, and leaving something out on purpose isn't doing my best. But I still think that this is suicide."

Harry nodded and replied, "I'm glad you aren't letting personal opinions get in the way of your job. Karazhan is perfect, and I need that nexus for a project I'm putting together, and you said it yourself, it's a well fortified and easily defended position. I'd also be willing to bet that aside from the risk in gaining control of the location, it's the best option as a base of operations, isn't it?"

Meridia nodded hesitantly, saying, "If you don't want to potentially anger a race or faction, yes. It's also the one that requires the least amount of repairs." She sighed and said, "Seeing as you're set on this course, I would recommend a party of ten, _minimum_, outfitted for a long-term excursion into hostile territory. What kind of storage space do you have? How much room do you have to pack supplies?"

Harry smiled and said, "Quite a bit, I doubt you could fill it all up for just this endeavor."

She nodded absently and started making notes on a blank piece of parchment, muttering under her breath, "You'll need food, enough for about fifteen people for two weeks. Spare weapons, leather for armor patches. Water is a necessity, better to have too much than not enough. Potions for injuries and elixirs for enhancements..." She trailed off, still muttering and writing, completely ignoring him now.

Harry grinned at her and said, "I'm going to invite someone over, I think she might have some insight that could be useful." Seeing Meridia not respond in any way, he looked over at the bar and spotted Jaina talking to the bartender and occasionally glancing in his direction. He caught her attention and waved her over, figuring he might as well see what she knew about the place.

Jaina walked over and sat down next to Meridia, who didn't even glance up from what she was doing. Jaina glanced at what the Night Elf was writing, seeing a list of supplies and approximate prices. Judging from what she knew, they were quite accurate, and some of the Elf's notes about where to go to get the lowest prices and how to go about it was intriguing to say the least. Jaina turned back to Harry and asked, "Planning an excursion into hostile territory?"

Harry shrugged and replied, "I'm going to need a base of operations in order to do this, and we've decided on one. Now it's just a matter of claiming it." He nodded in Meridia's direction and continued, "Meridia is putting together a list of things I'll need to get for the job." Harry continued scratching at Alurmi's scales and said, "All I need to do is acquire the supplies she tells me to and recruit some help to make the assault."

"What location are you planning to take? That will make a difference in who you want to recruit," Jaina asked curiously. "Also, you might want to consider finding someone to acquire these supplies for you and organize them on a long-term basis. That will free up quite a bit of your time to start gathering a group."

Alurmi chirped and tugged on his sleeve, nodding at Jaina and looking back up at him, chirping once more. Harry leaned down and whispered something to the little whelp, causing her to chirp again and bounce happily on his lap. Harry removed his wand and waved it over the table in a long series of patterns and muttering under his breath, causing Jaina to gasp slightly as she felt the magics rolling off of him and settling around the table. After a few moments he finished and said to Alurmi, "Okay, that should keep people from noticing us." He slid to the outside of the booth and set the little dragonling down next to him.

Alurmi quickly took her humanoid form and stretched, saying, "I really do like my other form, but it's not really good for communicating."

Harry snorted and retorted, "You just like being carried everywhere."

Alurmi scowled playfully and pushed him gently. "It's not my fault you smell reptilian. And don't blame it on the armor, that just smells like magic and you." She straightened up and said, "Anyway, I was the Quartermaster for the Keepers of Time. The only reason my stock was so outdated was because there wasn't much in the way of funds for me to restock, and I couldn't get permission to have my current stuff disenchanted to sell that to make up for it." She sighed and continued, "I can gather supplies from some of the contacts I made as well as the auction house, but I'll need to know what organization I'm representing now, because I can't do it as a Keeper of Time, I'll get in trouble."

Meridia was staring at Alurmi, startled by the sudden addition at the table. Finally she shook her head and said, "Wait, back up to the beginning of that. What do you mean by him smelling reptilian? I thought he was a Human."

Jaina eyed Harry and added, "Yes, I was under that impression as well."

Alurmi shrugged and replied, "I mean what I said. He smells reptilian." She leaned over and nuzzled into his neck, breathing deeply and making Harry blush and fidget uncomfortably. "He also smells a bit avian with a hint of a forest mammal, and a touch of something else I can't quite identify. Something ancient and very powerful," she added, scooting herself closer and sighing contently. "It's actually quite nice. Makes me feel safe," she murmured into his neck.

Jaina looked at him and raised her eyebrow. "Anything to say, Harry?"

Harry shook his head and said, "Not really. Had a run in with a snake and a bird when I was younger. Guess it just stuck with me a bit." He was sure the basilisk blood and venom along with the phoenix tears in his bloodstream had something to do with it, along with his animagus form and being the Master of Death. Harry really needed to make sure his form was the same. Wouldn't do to need it and suddenly find out he couldn't transform because it changed when he came to a new world. He figured he might want to run some tests on his blood as well. It didn't really have any difference than normal in his old world, but Azeroth was steeped in magic, and that in combination with the portal might have done something to the remnants in his veins.

Jaina's eyebrow went up higher. Could Kalec have been wrong? Could he actually be one of the flights that had just been in hiding until now? She trusted Kalec, but he wasn't all-knowing, and this new information just begged to be investigated. She just needed a way to do it without making an enemy of him. That wouldn't do at all. She sighed internally, mentally gearing herself up for a long and subtle investigation.

Meridia however, had no such interest in subtlety. "Harry, a simple run in with a snake and a bird wouldn't leave a scent strong enough to be detected for more than a few days. A week at most."

Harry sighed and shook his head. "It's not important and we're getting off track." He turned to Alurmi and said, "How long will it take you to put together the supplies that Meridia has on the list when she's done?"

"Hmm?" Alurmi looked up at him with a slightly dazed look before blinking it away and saying, "It depends on what the supplies are actually, as well your budget." She reached over and picked up his drink, taking a sip from it. Harry leaned over and whispered something in her ear, causing her eyes to widen and making her choke on his drink. She sputtered and grabbed a napkin, wiping her lips and turning towards Harry with wide questioning eyes. "You can't be serious," she muttered. Seeing the look on his face, she muttered blandly, "You _are_ serious." She turned to a confused Meridia and said, "Don't skimp on that list, make sure he has absolutely everything he could ever need for this. I'll make sure the quality is top-notch."

Meridia looked at Harry and said blandly, "It would help if I knew what kind of budget I was working with as well. It's actually quite difficult to build a supply list if I don't know what you're willing to shell out for it."

Harry tossed a galleon on the table and said, "How much is that worth?"

Meridia picked up the coin and hefted it in her hand. She looked up at Harry and asked, "Is this solid gold?" At Harry's nod, she weighed the coin in her hand again. After a few minutes of thought, she said, "I'd say this was worth about one gold and thirty silver. It's a bit heavier than our gold coins. Why?"

Alurmi squeaked, blushing furiously when Harry looked at her. "Was the figure you told me in that currency?" she asked him, pointing to the galleon in Meridia's hand. Harry nodded again and Alurmi squeaked once more. "That's... That's... A lot. Are you sure you want to spend that much on this one expedition?"

Harry sighed and whispered in her ear again, causing the blood to drain from Alurmi's face. She turned to him slowly and asked weakly, "Are you serious?" Once again, Harry nodded, and Alurmi nearly fainted. She took a few deep breaths and said, "With the figure you gave me for just this expedition, I can get all the supplies you'll ever think you might need and make a good start in getting you supplied for the long-term. I honestly think you should tell these two what kind of figure you have. You really need to be educated in the currency here and how much things usually cost so you aren't robbed blind. You already know Meridia's on your side, and Jaina has always had a good reputation."

Harry looked at Alurmi for a moment, before turning to the other two. It was quite obvious that they were intensely curious about this. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before saying, "I'm willing to put up ten thousand of those coins for this one expedition." Jaina and Meridia looked at the coin and back at him with wide eyes, that only got wider when he continued with, "And honestly, I'll never even notice it was gone."

"Harry," Meridia said hesitantly, rapidly doing the math in her head. "That's the equivalent of thirteen thousand gold. Most likely twelve thousand, five hundred after an exchange rate." She set the coin down on the table gently and asked, "Exactly what kind of budget are we looking at in the long-term?"

Harry thought for a moment and pointed to the coin on the table, saying, "I can part with about a million galleons for this, long-term. Although I will admit I'd like to find ways to make money instead of just spending all of my own."

Meridia closed her eyes and took a few slow, deep breaths. She opened her eyes and said, "I should rephrase my question. Exactly how much do you have, grand total, not just what you're willing to spend on your quest."

Harry arched his eyebrow and asked, "Exact total?" At Meridia's slow nod he leaned back in thought. After several tense moments he said, "Currently I have twenty-nine million, six hundred and fifty-six thousand, three hundred and seven of those gold galleons. That's not counting the extensive library of tens of thousands of books, heirlooms of two families that goes back over a thousand years, and other various items that don't have a solid value attached to them."

Jaina swallowed thickly and said, "Harry, your talking about more gold than is in the royal coffers of Stormwind. I don't think there's even that much in _circulation_." She blinked and continued, "Where the hell are you keeping all that?"

Harry grinned and shrugged, saying nonchalantly, "In my backpack. Why?"

From the look on the faces of the three women at the table with him, he was in for a _long_ talk about proper security.

* * *

He was right. The talk about security was long, and he finally got them to back off a bit when he told them that once he got his base of operations set up, most of it was going to be in a vault there instead of always on his person. He just didn't have anywhere secure that could hold it all at the moment. They were due to meet with Prophet Velen tomorrow morning, so they grabbed a suite at the inn and continued their discussion once the door was warded and Alurmi was back in her Elven form. She flopped down on the couch next to Harry and curled up against him with a sigh, laying her head on his shoulder and missing the mildly jealous look on Meridia's face.

"We already have a list of supplies going for this expedition, what else do we need to decide on?" Harry asked the occupants of the suite.

"You need a name for your organization. You'll also need a tabard designed for it," Alurmi said. "Like I said earlier, I'll get in trouble for wearing my Keepers of Time tabard and buying a lot of supplies."

"Harry nodded and said, "Then let's start there. I honestly don't know what to call this organization. Any ideas?"

"It should be something that ties in to what your group stands for, which is?" Jaina said.

Harry sighed in thought. After a few minutes he said, "I want this group to protect people. I want it to keep the peace between the Horde and Alliance and eliminate threats to Azeroth. I want to be able to welcome any race into the ranks, no matter what."

Meridia nodded and said, "It's a good goal, but it's also a difficult one. The factions have been at war with each other for a long time." She thought for a moment and said, "What about calling yourselves '_The Worldwalkers_'?"

Harry smiled and said, "That fits. I like it. Now we just need to come up with a design for a tabard, and then get some made. I already have an idea for that though, so I'll take care of it tomorrow."

Jaina sighed and said, "Considering I'm a member of the Kirin Tor, I can't offically join your organization. I won't split my loyalties like that. I can, however, justify being a representative of the Kirin Tor attached to your organization."

Harry nodded. He could understand that. "That's fine. I actually wouldn't mind having a representative from multiple groups attached to us. So now that bit is settled, what else do we need to do?"

"Once you get your tabard made, you should start recruiting some members. You'll need help taking Karazhan and it will be a good way to bond and test out new members to make sure they'll fit well into your group," Jaina added. "You might also want to consider getting some kind of badge made for people who are attached to your organization without actually being a member of it."

Harry nodded again and said, "You're right, I should do that." He looked around the room and said, "So is that all for the short-term? We can make bigger plans once Karazhan is renamed and functional."

Alurmi sighed into Harry's neck and said, "That sounds about right. It's a good short-term plan and the bigger things will need more thought and planning. Don't forget you need to have a meeting with the various faction leaders once you get your place repaired and set up."

Harry huffed and said, "I know, I'm just not looking forward to it. I bloody hate politicians."

Jaina smiled and said, "As do I, but it's a necessary part of your task. You said it yourself, you'll need their help, and getting some of their followers into your group will be a solid step forward in your ultimate goal."

Harry nodded slowly and said, "I know it is, and it _needs_ to be done, I just don't like all the bullshit that comes with it. As far as recruitment goes, I think I'll get a few Draenei from here, then hit the major cities and recruit a few people from each race, Alliance side at least. It's going to be a bit more difficult to get members of the Horde."

"There are a pair of Blood Elves in the Kirin Tor that have been considering leaving our ranks," Jaina said. "Honestly, I'd rather see them go with you than try and strike out on their own, and they can sound out a few others in the Horde about joining up. They're quite intelligent, and very good mages."

"I'd like to talk to them first and get a feel for them, but it sounds good," Harry replied with a shrug. "Where can I meet them?"

Jaina thought for a second and responded, "I can make a portal to Dalaran tomorrow after you meet with Prophet Velen so you can speak with them, and then make another to get you back here. It shouldn't take more than a few hours." She smirked and said, "Fair warning though, they're quite forward, and very flirtatious. You'll probably have your hands full dealing with them."

Harry arched an eyebrow and said, "Are they worth the hassle?"

Jaina nodded and replied, "They're very good at what they do, they would have been kicked out of the Kirin Tor if they weren't. As it sits, they're on their last chance, but they haven't done anything bad. Just a bunch of stuffy old men taking offense." She hesitated and said carefully, "There's also someone I could call on and let you talk to. She's very powerful, and considering everything, I think she would make an amazing addition to your group. She was once a member of the Kirin Tor, but left to make her own way. I believe you and she will get along wonderfully, and she can teach you quite a bit about her kind of magics."

Harry tilted his head to the side and said, "Your hesitating and skirting things. Just spill it out and we'll go from there."

Jaina sighed and licked her lips. She took a deep breath and said, "She's a Warlock."

Alurmi's head shot up and she growled dangerously, and Meridia spit out venomously, "Not a chance!"

Harry leaned forward and looked Jaina directly in the eyes. After a moment of staring at each other with neither backing down, Harry said, "Tell me more."

Meridia's head snapped around and she stared at Harry in shock. "You can't be serious! Those _things_ are the reason the Burning Legion have such a strong presence in Azeroth in the first place! They're nothing but corrupt! They consort with _demons_!"

Alurmi was calmer, but her voice was still hard. "Harry, warlocks aren't trusted by _anyone_. They're barely even tolerated."

All throughout being told this, Harry never looked away from Jaina. After a moment he said, "I doubt you would offer up her name if you thought she might betray us. What can you tell me about her? More importantly, do you trust her?"

Jaina nodded immediately and said, "I trust her implicitly," shocking Meridia and Alurmi. "She saved my life once, and since then has done quite a few tasks for me that I simply couldn't do myself for whatever reason. She's highly intelligent, very resourceful, extremely powerful, and damn good in combat. I've seen her drop two entire squads of demons on her own and look for more."

Harry nodded and said, "I'll talk to her and see if she'll fit with us. What's her name?"

Jaina smiled, mentally sighing in relief. Getting him to consider a meeting was easier than she thought, and now it was up to her friend to become a member of this promising new group. "Her name is Lyannara Spellweaver. She's in Dalaran for the next few days, so you can meet her tomorrow as well."

* * *

Harry walked with Jaina and Meridia while carrying Alurmi, who was again in her whelp form, in his arms. The Vault of Lights was large and open, shining golden walls with glittering amber crystals scattered about, it was something that Harry had never seen before. Stopping at a few of the holograms, he committed the information to memory just in case he needed it later. If anything, he might be able to use something he learned when he went after Garrosh.

Walking up the steps, he saw an aged Draenei waiting for them. He was dressed in elaborate white and red robes trimmed in gold, with bright glowing eyes and a beard that hung down to his waist and four tendrils hanging from his chin. The man exuded power and wisdom. Before anyone could speak, the man smiled widely and said, "Welcome back!" Then he frowned and added, "Or greetings. I am Velen. So many visions as of late, sometimes it's difficult to tell who I have already met and who I have yet to meet."

"Visions?" Harry asked, tilting his head.

Velen nodded and replied, "Of the future."

Harry immediately stiffened. He didn't really like prophecies, and he had a sudden horrible feeling about this. "One should be careful of trying to change future events, lest they come to pass," Harry said seriously. "The simple act of trying to change fate could very well be the events that lead to the future one was trying to change. A man once heard part of a prophecy, and set into motion the very thing he was trying so hard to change."

Velen nodded and looked at Harry. "Wise words. Such wisdom is uncommon in one so young. This is why I keep the visions to myself, and only interfere when the Light tells me I should. You have had experience with prophecy then? Will you share the experience?"

Harry froze for a moment, then nodded hesitantly. "An evil man heard part of a prophecy about his death, that a child soon to be born would kill him. He attempted to kill the child as a baby to avoid his fate, and unknowingly sealed it. The child grew up, and eventually killed the evil man."

Velen nodded and said, "You were that child. Tell me, what did they call you?"

Harry licked his dry lips and swallowed the lump in his throat. "They called me the Chosen One, and by the time of the last battle, I was the _de facto_ Leader of the Light."

Velen looked at Harry intensely. After a moment, he asked, "Do you wield a sword?" Startled by the sudden change in topics, Harry just nodded. "May I see it?"

Harry set Alurmi down and summoned the Sword of Gryffindor, holding it across his palms. Velen looked at the blade closely, lost in thought, and traced his finger gently down the flat of the blade. "It is the same," Velen muttered. He looked up into Harry's eyes and held his gaze for a moment before stepping back. Suddenly, Velen smiled and questioned, "So why have you come to meet me?"

Harry sent the sword away and said, "I'm putting together a group to help with a request that came to me. I'll need the help of every race on Azeroth to see it done, and was hoping to start the process of gaining the assistance of the Draenei people."

Velen nodded and said, "You are going to hunt the Burning Legion."

Harry's eyes widened and he replied, "Specifically Kil'jaeden and the Lich King, the rest after that. But how did you know?"

Velen smiled at Harry, who suddenly slumped and said, "Oh bugger. Another prophecy." Velen opened his mouth to speak, but Harry interrupted and said, "Don't tell me anything about it. Anything at all. It's better if I know nothing about it."

Velen chuckled and said, "Very well. I will not tell you of the vision I had more than twenty millennia ago."

The blood drained from Harry's face and he muttered, "Twenty thousand years."

Velen nodded and continued, "The Draenei people will assist you. Any enemy of the Burning Legion is an ally of ours."

"This force will include the races of the Horde as well. All of them. Are your people willing to fight beside a race that you've been fighting against?" Harry asked seriously.

Velen hesitated a split-second before nodding. "I will hand-pick two of my best to join you. You are staying at the inn near the entrance?" At Harry's nod, Velen continued, "Then I will send them there, they will meet you in the morning."

* * *

Harry stepped out of the portal in Dalaran and looked behind him. He could clearly see the room he just left behind him. It was quite a smooth way to travel, just in one place and then in the next with a step. He looked over at Jaina and said with a smile, "I really need to learn how to do that." He looked around the room he was in, done in various shades of purple with comfortable furniture, and a huge window overlooking the city. The city itself was large, with cobbled roads and gleaming buildings with dome tops and spires that stretched up into the sky. "So where to first?"

Jaina smiled back at him and said, "Wait here, I'll go find the two Blood Elves and bring them back. Make yourself comfortable, it could be a bit of a wait. While you're talking with them, I'll go meet with Lyannara and set something up."

Harry nodded and Jaina left the room in search of the potential recruits. Harry looked around the room again and noticed a bookshelf against the wall. Out of curiosity, he walked over and pulled a book down at random and opened it. "_A Treatise on Magic and its Uses_. Hmm, interesting." Harry sat down at a table and started reading, thanking his _occlumency_ for its effects on retention and increase in reading speed.

Two and a half hours later, Jaina walked back into the room with two Blood Elves. She looked around for Harry and didn't see him, but the pile of books at the table and the near-empty bookshelf against the wall told her what he had been doing while she was gone. She walked around the table to see around the stack of books and smirked at what she saw. Harry was sitting there with four different books open in front of him and a stack of parchment that likely held the notes he had made. "Good to see you aren't bored." Harry didn't respond in any way, and Jaina chuckled. She waved the two women over and motioned them into a pair of seats where they could see Harry.

Harry, for his part, was lost in his research. This world's magic was quite similar to his own, and quite a few of the assumptions he had made about it over the years had been proven to be correct here. This world put so much more research into magic than his old one did. He had first started reading to pass the time, then he started making little notes of things that he wanted to look into further, then he needed a second book that the first one referenced to clarify something, and then another, and another. Soon the table looked like his desk back home did before he left. Harry stood up with a book in his hand and walked absently around Jaina, who was trying not to laugh out loud, and over to the bookshelf. He looked at the book in his hand and back to the bookshelf, frowning when he didn't find what he was looking for. He muttered under his breath and walked back to the table, still completely missing the fact that he wasn't alone in the room anymore.

As he walked by, Jaina grabbed the book from his hand and closed it, setting it on the table. Harry looked up and blinked, asking, "When did you get back? And why didn't you say anything?"

Jaina chuckled and said, "I did, but you just walked around me and went looking for another book on the nearly empty bookshelf."

Harry blinked again and looked back at the bare shelves and then over to the table piled with nearly every tome in the room. "Oh. Oops." He snapped his wand into his hand and waved it at the books and directed them back to the shelves, all arranged neatly and back in their proper place. "Sorry about that. Fell back into some old habits," he said with a smile. He turned to the table and noticed the two others sitting there staring at the display in open curiosity. He smiled at the pair and sat down at the table, saying, "Hello. I'm Harry."

The woman on the left spoke first and said, "My name is Alana, and my partner is Coria."

Harry nodded to both of them and replied, "Nice to meet you." They were both slim with pale peach skin and bright glowing green eyes, dressed in identical purple and red robes that were obviously tailored to fit them well. Alana had dark black hair that hung freely straight down to her shoulders, in contrast to Coria's longer shining blonde hair pulled back in a loose ponytail.

Jaina tapped Harry on the shoulder and said, "I'm going to go find my friend, I'll be back to take you to the meeting place. The rest of the Kirin Tor would take offense to her presence in the tower."

Harry nodded and watched Jaina leave before turning back to the two across from him. For some reason he couldn't figure, they were both staring at him as if he were a piece of meat. "Okay, why are you two staring at me like that?"

They both smiled wickedly and Coria asked, "What do you know of Blood Elves?"

"Nothing," Harry shrugged. At their surprised look, he suddenly felt like he was missing something he should know. "Why?"

"Well, we Blood Elves have a bit of a problem-" Alana started.

"We have a bit of an addiction to magic." Coria finished.

"Blood elves drain arcane magics to sate their addictions-"

"But that's only a stop-gap instead of a solution."

"Arcane magics only sate the addiction-"

"It doesn't do anything to help stop it."

"And you, Harry-" Alana purred at him, leaning forward.

"Are simply drenched in pure magic." Coria purred as well, copying Alana's actions.

"You are simply a buffet to a Blood Elf," they both said together.

Harry suddenly felt quite exposed. His eyes flicked between the two of them and he said, "Is that a problem?"

Their grins got wider and Alana said, "Not at all. With the amount of magic you're pouring out right now, the both of us could gorge on you and you probably wouldn't even feel much of a drain."

Harry narrowed his eyes and fingered his wand, flicking his eyes to the door and back, trying to judge the distance and the odds of making it to the door and escaping if it came down to it. He knew he'd be in quite a bit of trouble with the Kirin Tor and Jaina specifically if he harmed these two, so that left him with his 'delay, dodge, escape' plan.

After a moment the two fell back in their chairs and laughed uproariously. "We're sorry Harry, that was a bit mean," Coria said. "While all that is true, we both have enough self-discipline to not do something so grotesque."

Alana chuckled and added, "But you should be careful around Blood Elves in the future. Some will see you and decide to try and capture you to use as a power source for them to drain at their leisure."

Harry relaxed and said, "Well that's good to know. I was wondering why Lor'themar kept eying me. I thought he was just gay."

They both stopped chuckling and Coria said seriously, "Lor'themar Theron? The Regent Lord of Quel'thalas, _de facto_ leader of the Blood Elven people?"

Harry nodded and replied, "Yeah, that's the one. Why?"

They both looked at each other, communicating silently for a moment before turning back to him. "Be careful dealing with him. He will look out for his people first above all, and capturing you would go a long way in helping the Blood Elves deal with their addiction," Alana said.

"Why are you telling me this?" Harry asked curiously.

Coria licked her lips and said hesitantly, "We are members of the Kirin Tor. As such, we are... Less than welcome among our people. We don't really have anything tying us there now anyway."

Harry nodded, knowing what it was like to be turned against by your own people. "Alright. So anyway, on to a safer subject, What has Jaina told you about me and the group I'm putting together?"

"You are putting together a group of people from all the races of Azeroth to battle against the Burning Legion and the Lich King," Alana said. "And are currently looking for initial members to assist in acquiring a base of operations."

"Well that's the most of it. I have a few questions I want to ask first," Harry said.

* * *

Jaina walked into the Beer Garden behind _A Hero's Welcome_ and looked for her friend. It wasn't that hard to spot her, she was sitting alone in a corner, busy drinking and being absolutely avoided by everyone else and ignoring the dirty looks and glares she was receiving. She set down her mug and brushed her short dark red hair out of her eyes. Jaina personally thought the new haircut suited Lyannara better than her old ponytail did, now it was short and the ends flared out away from her face. Jaina walked over and sat down across from her, waiting for her friend to speak first.

"I take it you have a job for me?" Lyannara asked, sliding her half-empty mug off to the side. It wouldn't do for her to be drunk while working. She tried it once, and instead of her usual _Rain of Fire_ she got a _Rain of Foxes_. While intensely amusing and highly distracting, it simply didn't have the _omph_ she was going for.

On a completely unrelated note, Lakeshire in Redridge Mountains still hasn't figured out where all the little critters came from.

Jaina smiled and said, "No, actually. There's a new organization building, I was wondering if you would like to join them."

Lyannara snorted and replied, "I highly doubt they want me." She pointed to herself and added, "Warlock, remember?"

Jaina sighed. Ever since Lyannara had left the mage path and picked up the Warlock magics, she had been quite thoroughly shunned. She was so different from the teenager with wide eyes that Jaina remembered from a decade ago. No longer innocent to the world, she was tired and caustic, with a diamond-hard edge, far less the prankster she used to be. "Actually, their leader came to Dalaran to recruit three people. Alana, Coria, and despite the protests about warlocks from the two others he was with at the time, you."

Lyannara looked surprised at that. The fact that someone knew she was a warlock and was still willing to recruit her was something that had never happened. Most times, people either didn't know until she said something and they sent her away, or they knew beforehand and avoided her. Then the names registered and she said, "Wait, he's recruiting two Blood Elves as well?"

Jaina nodded and replied, "He's going to be recruiting from all of the races of Azeroth. I doubt that will be a problem with you, given what I know." Jaina turned and looked at her and continued, "He's going to be hunting the Burning Legion and the Lich King. I figured you might want to be a part of it."

Lyannara growled and the mug next to her caught fire, burning quickly to ash under the intense heat of the emerald flames. She looked at Jaina with a sudden intensity that startled the mage. "Tell me more," Lyannara said with a hardness to her voice that Jaina _knew_ meant she was going to join Harry in his quest.

* * *

Jaina came back to the room she had left Harry in with Alana and Coria, freezing suddenly when she heard one of the women let out a quiet moan. Jaina scowled and flung open the door, ready to fling a fireball at Harry for doing such things in _her_ study. She stopped suddenly, fireball in hand, and blinked in surprise at what she saw.

Alana and Coria were staring in awe at a gem in each of their hands, holding them as if they were gifts from a god, and Harry was looking quite smug. All three were still completely dressed and not mussed up in any way.

Harry turned and looked at Jaina in confusion, before rapidly putting together what must have happened and began laughing. "It's not what you think, I promise." He pointed at the two Blood Elves and continued, "We came to an agreement and I poured some of my magic into a couple spare gems I had for them to use to help deal with the magic addiction. The Kirin Tor just lost two members, by the way."

Jaina snuffed out the fireball in her hand and chuckled. "I take it they'll be joining you on your quest?" At Harry's nod, Jaina continued. "Well, I suppose congratulations are in order. So have you given them any assignments?"

"We're going to be sounding out some members of the Horde to join the group. _The Worldwalkers_, correct?" Alana said, pocketing the gem.

Harry nodded and said, "I'll be getting tabards made today before I leave, I'll get you two yours before I head back to the Exodar."

The two Blood Elves nodded and stood up, stretching. "Looks like we have some work to do now," Coria said, walking towards the door.

"We'll see you soon, Harry," Alana said flirtatiously, smiling at him over her shoulder as she followed her friend out of the room.

Harry shook his head and looked at Jaina, who was smirking at him with an arched eyebrow. He held up his hands and shook his head, saying, "Not my fault, I didn't do anything." He dropped his hands and stood as well, sighing and asking, "So where to now?"

* * *

Harry followed Jaina to an inn called _A Hero's Welcome_. Jaina stopped outside and turned to Harry, saying, "Head inside and through the left door on the back wall. She'll be back there, the one that's being avoided by everyone else. I've talked to her already and she's actually quite keen to join, the rest is up to you."

Harry nodded and headed inside, following Jaina's directions into an open are with tables scattered about. He looked around and immediately spotted a woman sitting alone at a table towards the back, occasionally glancing at the door as if waiting on someone. She had short dark red hair, gray eyes and a light dusting of freckles across her nose and cheeks. Her deep purple and red robes were well tailored to her and obviously high quality and well enchanted, and a wicked looking staff topped with a skull was leaning against the table next to her, well within reach.

Lyannara looked over at the door again for the fifth time in as many minutes and froze. Jaina told her that he looked young but was older than she was, however she was thoroughly unprepared for what she saw. He was tall and lean, an athlete's body opposed to a muscular warrior's form, clad in black hide armor with metal plates in various places, a mess of black hair and bright green eyes she swore she saw glow for a second. He locked eyes with her and smiled slightly, heading over to her table and sitting down across from her.

Harry held out his hand for her to shake and said, "Hello, you must be Lyannara. I'm Harry."

Lyannara immediately opened her mouth and said, "Well you don't look hairy, and if I'm not Lyannara then you just made an ass of yourself." Although she didn't react outwardly, she was raging at herself internally. _'What the hell?!'_ she thought to herself, _'Learn to filter, girl! He's here to offer you a chance to be a part of something again and the first thing you do is insult him?! What the hell?!'_ She watched as he blinked once, stood abruptly, and walked away. _'Good job, your mouth just ran him off!'_ If she wasn't in a public place she'd be slapping herself silly.

She was quite startled when he got a few paces away and spun around quickly, walking back towards her. He stopped across from her at the table, sticking out his hand again and saying, "Hello, my name is Harry. Are you Lyannara?"

She blinked at him, her eyes wide. _'YES! Second chance! Don't waste it, girl!' _She thought, absently taking his hand and shaking it. "I am, pleasure to meet you. Have a seat."

Harry smiled wider and said, "Thank you." He took the same seat he had just vacated a moment ago and continued, "So what have you heard about me and the organization I'm starting up?"

Lyannara shrugged and replied, "Just the basics. Your making a group to fight the Burning Legion and the Lich King, recruiting from all the races, just starting out, and will soon be acquiring a base of operations." She looked at him and added hesitantly, "What I don't know is why you'd want to recruit _me_. Warlocks don't have the best reputation."

Harry nodded and said, "That's the basics. As for why you, for starters, Jaina vouched for you, said you were trustworthy and one of the best, and that's exactly what I need if I'm going to have a chance to do this. As for your being a warlock..." He trailed off, looking at a point over her shoulder with unfocused eyes. They snapped back and stared hard into her own gray orbs, startling her in their intensity, making her shiver slightly and pinning her to her seat. He said quietly, "Once upon a time there was a young boy with an ability. The boy used that ability to save a classmate of his, but because of the reputation the ability had, he was shunned by the entire school, called names, told he was evil because he was born with a skill that others long before him had used for evil. Because of this, the boy learned to judge based on action instead of reputation, and was a better man for it."

Lyannara smiled sadly and whispered, "Sounds familiar."

Harry was startled when at that moment a waitress shook his shoulder. He tensed momentarily and turned to the woman, saying stiffly, "Can I help you?"

The woman glared at Lyannara, who just arched an eyebrow in response, and looked back at Harry, saying kindly, "There's another table open across the garden, sir. There's no need to associate with _her_ kind any longer."

Harry flicked his wand into his hand and smiled, and not a kind smile. This was a smile that screamed '_danger!_' and promised intense pain with a large helping of utter humiliation if things weren't handled delicately. Lyannara decided then and there that she was going to do everything she could to keep that kind of smile from being directed at her. She may be powerful, but Jaina had told her about the conflagration he had caused on Mount Hyjal, and she had no desire whatsoever to find out what that was like first-hand. "I'm sorry," Harry purred wickedly. "What kind is that?"

The waitress obviously wasn't able to tell the difference between a normal smile and the kind Harry was currently wearing. She huffed, looked at him as if he were stupid and said simply, "Some demon's whore."

Harry's eyes narrowed and his smile widened. He opened his mouth and said innocently, "Well, I don't want to try and deal with a demon. While worth the high price, I'm not willing to pay that much at the moment." He looked the woman over and continued, "You look cheap, though. Who's whore are you?"

* * *

Lyannara cracked up and laughed uproariously once more. "I can't believe you got kicked out of the Beer Garden and _banned_ from entry for all time," she choked out in between guffaws. "Even I've never managed that!"

Harry huffed and glared lightly at Lyannara. Harry had gotten the new tabards for his group, which had taken some time, and Lyannara was still laughing. "I'm glad you find this all amusing. I'm the one that has to deal with Jaina, she's no doubt heard about the entire thing by now."

Lynnara wiped her eyes, still chuckling. "That's going to be interesting to watch. Have fun with that."

At that moment, Alana and Coria walked up to them. They both smiled and said, "Hey 'Nara." They looked at harry and their smiles widened. Coria asked, "So I heard a rumor about a naked waitress that was also a small bouncing female dog, a horny donkey, lots of cold water, brightly colored bubble-traps that won't go away, massive amounts of paint, and an insane mage hollering about learning a lesson?"

Alana nodded and added, "I heard that said mage was banned for eternity from the Beer Garden, and that said Garden had to close indefinitely for clean-up."

Harry sighed and said, "In my defense, the donkey only came in to play when she called me a fucking jackass. I simply decided to prove I was nothing of the sort." He looked over their shoulders at the Violet Citadel and asked hesitantly, "So how pissed is Jaina?"

Coria grinned and said, "She's dealing with the fallout with the Kirin Tor. Seems they take offense to such actions and want to detain you."

Alana added, "If you start running now, you might actually get far enough away that the time it takes her to catch up might let her cool off enough to let you keep your manhood."

Harry winced and replied, "That bad?"

"_Yes_, that bad."

Harry flinched and turned around to see Jaina Proudmoore glaring at him, staff in one hand and fireball in the other. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you caused with that stunt?" She growled. "That was my favorite place to relax. The mages called in to clean it up still haven't figured out how get the walls back to their original color, and a few of them got trapped in those infernal bubbles and floated away."

Harry straighted and said, "I should actually take care of it. I was slinging some prank spells out and some of those will not take attempts at dispelling them well."

At that moment, a tie-dyed mage walked up to Jaina and said, "We have a bit of a problem."

* * *

"There, that should do it." Harry said, flicking his wrist and sending the Elder Wand back into its holster. It had taken him all of half an hour to clean up the Beer Garden, much to the displeasure of the mages that had been trying for the better part of four hours with no effect. Several of them were tie-dyed, an effect that wasn't dispellable and would last for another few hours. He got quite a few dirty looks when that was explained.

"Good," Jaina said tensely, still a bit upset at his escapades. She waved the other mages away, and when they were alone, she continued, "Since you've already given Alana and Coria their tabards, we should be heading back to the Exodar."

Harry nodded, picking up his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. "Ready?" He asked, looking over at Lyannara.

She nodded. "I carry everything with me," she said, patting her bag.

As soon as Jaina finished the portal, the three of them stepped through and into the home of the Draenei. Harry turned around and said, "I still really need to learn how that works."

They made their way quickly back to the inn they were staying at and up to their suite. Alurmi noticed immediately and chirped, flying over and settling into his arms. Harry chucked and Lyannara arched an eyebrow in amusement. Alurmi spotted the new member and hissed at her, glaring lightly, earning a soft rap on the nose from Harry, who said, "None of that, now." Alurmi looked down and then chirped once at Lyannara before settling comfortably in Harry's arms. He walked over and sat across from Meridia, waving Jaina and Lyannara over to the table.

Jaina sat next to Meridia and Lyannara sat next to Harry as he introduced Lyannara to the rest of the group she hadn't met so far. "Lyannara, this is Meridia," he said, pointing at the Night Elf, who looked up and nodded at her before turning back to her work. Harry sighed internally, noting the slight hurt in Lyannara's eyes and continued, "And this little handful is Alurmi." He said, scratching at her scales.

Alurmi looked up and chirped once at Lyannara before settling back comfortably in Harry's arms, causing Lyannara to smile slightly and say, "She's cute," making Harry smile.

"Yeah she is. There are some others you haven't met yet, but they're in Darnassus at the moment," Harry said, looking up at Lyannara. "They should be arriving either tomorrow or the day after, and we have two new additions showing up in the morning." Harry yawned and stretched, adding, "I don't know about you all, but I'm tired." He shifted and got up, setting Alurmi down in the chair he had just vacated, earning a glare from the little whelp. "I'm going to get some sleep. We have an early day tomorrow." The others around the table bade him goodnight as he wandered off to get some rest, staying and talking for a bit before heading off themselves.


	10. Recruitment Part Two

**Disclaimer:**

I don't own anything related to the rights of Harry Potter or Warcraft.

**Author's Notes:**

Sorry this took so long, still dealing with a wall, and I've only been able to get out a little at a time.

Removed a tiny piece of information from chapter seven so things in this chapter would make more sense.

Congrats to ColdFang, who caught the RvB Reference last chapter.

No Beta, so all mistakes are my own.

**(Aug. 20th, 2013)** - Reworked and tweaked.

**Publish Date:** Mar. 26th, 2013

**Update Date:** Aug. 20th, 2013

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

Recruitment Part Two

Harry woke early the next morning and decided that he should start his meditating again. He still needed to check and see if his animagus form had changed, and while the usual sorting of memories every night was decent enough, he really wanted to thoroughly check his shields and make sure all of his memories were still secure. He had noticed a few minor changes to his mindscape since he came through the portal, and he wanted to make sure everything in his head was as it should be.

The rest of the group wandered out into the main room one at a time to see Harry sitting cross-legged on the floor, eyes closed, with Alurmi settled in his lap and watching over him. The others went about their business after calling out to him and not getting any response whatsoever, but kept an eye on him, just in case. A few hours later, Harry opened his eyes. He gently lifted Alurmi off of his lap and stood, stretching.

As Harry was stretching, there was a knock on the door. He walked over an opened it, stopping himself in surprise before he spoke to the giant armored blue barrel on legs on the other side of the door. He looked up... and up... and up a bit more, and said innocently, "You know, until one's right in front of you, you never really understand just how _large_ a male Draenei is."

The male laughed loudly and replied with a smile, "And you never really notice how small a Human is until you've already stepped on one. I am Paladin Kriinos." Kriinos stepped to the side slightly and continued, "This is my sister, Priestess Karinaa. Prophet Velen asked us to come speak with you about joining your group." Kriinos was heavily armored in silver and gold plate armor, with a shield on his back and a sword on his hip. He had short brown hair and a goatee, in contrast to his sister's dark blue pigtails, horns that swept back along her head and white robes with light blue trim. While Kriinos seemed rather outgoing, his sister Karinaa was a bit shy, staying slightly behind her brother. Hopefully that would change in time.

Harry smiled and stepped back, opening the door wider and letting the two siblings into the suite. The two Draenei entered and looked around the room, taking in the people around the table. Kriinos hesitated for less than a second when he spotted Lyannara, he obviously knew what she was, but refrained from mentioning anything about it, which Harry was happy about. If they couldn't get along with the people he had already recruited, he wasn't sure he wanted them in such a new group to begin with. "So what have you been told about this organization?" Harry asked as the three of them sat down at the table with the others.

"Prophet Velen told us that you were going after the Burning Legion and the Lich King," Karinaa said softly. "That you were putting together... a group to protect all of Azeroth."

Harry smiled and replied, "That's correct. Here's what we've come up with so far, feel free to add any thoughts you have."

* * *

That evening, there was another knock on the door, and Harry got up to see who it was. He smiled as soon as he saw who was on the other side; Jessir and Arko'narin. "Hey you two," he said as he waved them in. "Where's Shandris?"

"She had to stay behind. They're still dealing with that information you passed along, and they needed her for some things," Jessir said. "She said she's sorry she can't join us, but she'll catch up in a few weeks."

Harry nodded and said, "Alright, we should have a solid base of operations set up by then, so it shouldn't be hard for her to find us. We have a few new additions to the group, by the way." He led the two Night elves over to the table and said, "This is Paladin Kriinos and Priestess Karinaa, they just joined us earlier today, Jaina is here as a representative of the Kirin Tor, whom I've apparently upset recently. Hopefully that will blow over soon. And this is Lyannara." He pointed out the members as he introduced them, who all smiled and nodded or waved, with the exception of Lyannara. She was thoroughly engrossed in a tattered, obviously handmade book with the title, "_The Marauder's Massive Book of Mischief_". A sudden bark of laughter from Lyannara attracted everyone's attention, and Harry asked, "What part?"

Lyannara looked up with eyes bright with amusement and simply said, "crescere ubera?"

Harry laughed loudly and replied, "Done right that is a good one."

Lyannara tilted her head and questioned, "Done right?"

"Tied to a detection ward with an activation to cast on any male that passes through it for as long as the ward lasts," Harry said with a wide grin.

Lyannara lost focus for a moment before laughing and saying, "I'd pay to see that. You should have added that to the entrance to the Beer Garden in Dalaran before you were banned."

Harry's grin turned positively wicked and he said, "Timer spells are quite useful as well."

Lyannara started laughing uproariously and Jaina sighed, asking, "Do I even want to know?"

Harry turned to her and said, "I have two words for you. Plausible. Deniability."

Jaina sighed again and shook her head. "As much as I miss the old Lyannara, I think it might have been a massive mistake getting the two of you together. I'm not sure Azeroth can handle it."

"Dare I ask what else you left?" Lyannara asked between chuckles.

"Timed charms on seats, tables, mugs, walls, and shrubbery. The seats will randomly bite, tables will flip upside-down, mugs will start singing, walls are going to start gossiping, and shrubbery will be dancing. All at once," Harry replied with a straight face. "Oh, and that waitress we both hate will be randomly turning into a bitch every time she acts like one. Again."

Lyannara couldn't stop laughing, and Jaina just closed her eyes, glad she was away so she didn't have to deal with that. Everyone else was staring at Harry as if he was insane. He looked around and said, "Prank spells are a birthright for me, and it's been a long time since I've let out my Marauder side. And to be honest, you have no idea just how useful they can be in a fight as well."

Lyannara suddenly asked, "Wait, you wrote this book?"

Harry smiled sadly and shook his head. "My dad, godfather, and honorary uncle started it. I inherited the mantle when I completed an important step, though. All my additions are in the back, along with some notations and additions throughout."

"These are definitely people I'd like to meet. They seem hilarious," Lyannara said.

"They're all dead now," Harry said sadly. "I'm the last Marauder... running, so to speak."

The smile fell from Lyannara's face. "I'm sorry."

Harry shook he head and walked over, whispering in her ear, "I might be able to introduce you one day," leaving her quite confused. He straightened up and said to the occupants of the room, "Well, Jaina says she's going to make us a portal to Stormwind in the morning, which is better than my original plan of portkeys and boats."

Jessir, Arko'narin and Alurmi, the only ones with any experience with portkeys, shuddered. "I don't like those things," Jessir said. "They make me sick."

Harry nodded and said quite seriously, "I know. I hate boats too," causing the three of them to look at him oddly. "I'm not going to be dealing with Wrynn or the Dwarven Council just yet. For one, I highly doubt they'd take me seriously, and I really don't think I can handle much more politics without killing someone."

Jaina laughed and said jokingly, "Too bad you aren't a noble, things would be a lot easier then."

Harry smiled and said, "Where I'm from, I am."

Jaina stopped laughing and looked at him intensely, asking, "Are you serious?"

Harry nodded and replied, "I am Lord Potter of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter and Lord Black of the Ancient and Noble House of Black. My full name is Harry James Potter-Black. I had two hereditary seats in the government body and was the head of two of the top three most influential families in our government."

Lyannara wrinkled her nose and said, "You were a politician?"

Harry laughed and replied, "Not a chance. I put proxies I trusted in place that could deal with the political arena. I would have caused an incident. I nearly did in the one and only meeting I attended."

"Why did you leave if you were so influential?" Jaina asked curiously.

The atrocities flashing in his mind and the screams echoing in his ears lasted less than a second, and Harry replied simply, "Personal reasons." He suddenly looked far older than he was, tired and worn down.

No one present wanted to ask what caused the sudden shift, so Jaina changed the subject and said, "Well, we have a long day tomorrow, we should get some sleep." She turned to Harry and asked, "Are you still planning on recruiting a few more people in Stormwind tomorrow?"

Harry looked up and nodded, saying, "I am. Just one or two people though, with Coria and Alana recruiting as well, we should have enough to take Karazhan."

Arko'narin looked at him and asked incredulously, "Karazhan?"

Harry blinked owlishly and replied, "Oh, right. Time to catch you two up."

* * *

Harry woke early the next morning and started preparing for the trip to Stormwind. He settled out the tab with the innkeeper, and transferred five thousand gold into a bag for gathering supplies. Time went quickly for him once he started his meditations, and as soon as he was finished, Jaina made a portal and they all began the next leg of their journey.

After stepping through the portal into Stormwind, Harry turned to Jaina and asked, "So where would be a good place to start recruiting?"

Jaina frowned in thought and replied, "Old Town might be the best district to start with, but we should be careful there. I might be able to pull a few strings and call in a favor or two and get an audience with Shaw, but that's risky."

"Why is that risky? And who is Shaw?" Harry questioned.

"Shaw is the leader of SI:7, Stormwind's intelligence agency. It's risky because he's very good at what he does, and it would tip our hand rather quickly." Jaina said.

Harry was silent, his eyes shifting side to side in thought. After a moment he spoke, "Let me handle Shaw, I have a few tricks he's never seen. Where would be a good place to meet up with you all?"

Jaina looked at him for a moment and said, "The Pig and Whistle Tavern is in Old Town, close to the SI:7 Headquarters. It's a good place to start recruiting if necessary."

Harry nodded and said, "Alright then, while your out and about today, start spreading the word on where we'll be and that we're recruiting a few new members." He handed the bag of gold to Meridia and said, "That's half of what we discussed the other day. I'm more interested in speed than saving gold for this one. Take the others with you and I'll meet you at the tavern when I'm done." With that, he shimmered and disappeared from sight.

After the initial shock wore off, Meridia said, "Well he sure knows how to make an exit. Come on, we have a lot of supplies to get and something tells me that his meeting isn't going to be as quick as we expect."

* * *

It took Harry twenty minutes to find a quiet corner, forty to gather what he needed from his trunks and brush up on a few skills, fifteen minutes to secure the alley he was going to leave his bag in, half an hour to make it to the SI:7 Headquarters, fifteen to work his way up to Shaw's office, and an hour waiting against the wall for Shaw to finally close his door. Harry silently cast several locking charms on the now closed door and privacy wards around the room to ensure a one-on-one meeting, thanking Merlin the entire time for disillusionment, silencing and notice-me-not charms.

Harry had prepared for this meeting, putting on his old Unspeakable robes, complete with multiple face and voice obscuring charms, brushed up on his illusion spells and put together a redacted packet of information from what he gathered when he arrived on Azeroth. He had been using _legilimency_ on Shaw to get a feel for what kind of person he was and what to expect from him while he was waiting, as well as any information that might give him an advantage. This meeting was far too delicate to leave anything to chance. In a perfect world, he would have taken upwards of a week to gather the information he needed and prepare for something like this, but he would deal with what he had. Once he had everything ready and his illusions weaved and ready to activate, he made his way to where he wanted to be, levitated the packet of information high above the spy's desk, and began the meeting by letting it drop.

* * *

Master Mathias Shaw was having a rather strange week. Reports had been coming in about a new group forming, supposedly made of members of both the Alliance and the Horde, and led by a young human that, according to reports, was nothing more than a walking weapon of mass destruction. Reports from operatives on Mount Hyjal mentioned this human meeting with the leaders of the Horde, Ysera, and a number of Night Elves, including General Shandris Feathermoon. Other reports put him in the company of Jaina Proudmoore at the Exodar and meeting with Prophet Velen, and still others that he was accidentally killed by Lady Tyrande Whisperwind's guard.

A stack of papers crashing down onto his desk caused Mathias to roll away to the side, drawing his daggers and backing against the wall, looking around the room for intruders. Suddenly, a large red padded chintz chair popped into existence in front of his desk, and a seated figure appeared in a swirl of smoke. The person was wearing loose dark grey and black robes with a hood pulled up, and its face was shrouded in pitch black shadows, only revealing bright, glowing emerald eyes.

Mathias threw a dagger at the figure.

The person vanished in another puff of black smoke, leaving his dagger buried into the back of the brand new chair. Another swirl of smoke and the figure was back, this time leaning against his desk. "Tsk, tsk. Well that was rather rude," the figure spoke. It's voice was unidentifiable. Male, female, young and strong, old and raspy and everything in between, all rolled together and layered in such a way that none of it was distinguishable as a main voice. "Throwing knives at a guest before they have a chance to speak. I know that's not something grandmother Pathonia taught you. Rule number seventy-three. Find out all you can from a person before you kill someone if you have the time. You never know when the information will be useful."

A second thrown dagger and two more plumes of smoke and the person was now leaning against the wall. "Well aren't we off to a spectacular start."

Another dagger, and Mathias moved to the door in an attempt to get some backup. He pulled on the handle, but it wouldn't budge, so he put his back to it and kicked against it, believing that the noise would attract some attention and gain him some assistance.

"No one's going to hear that," the figure said, leaning against the wall not two feet away from him. A swing with his blade and another plume of smoke. "I made sure this would be a private meeting," the person said from his other side. Another swing and now the figure was leaning against the wall behind his desk. "Just how many daggers do you have on your person? Never mind." The figure waved his hand and suddenly every blade on his person and hidden around the room went flying out the window. The person moved around Mathias' desk, sat in the new chair, and said, "Have a seat Master Shaw. We have some things to discuss."

Master Mathias Shaw was having a rather strange week indeed.

* * *

Three hours after Harry left, Meridia and Alurmi were in the Stormwind Auction House. They had split the gold up and paired off, everyone heading out to different locations to get supplies. Kriinos and Karinaa were off in the Dwarven Quarter gathering armor repair kits and ammunition, Arko'narin and Jessir were gathering food and water, and Jaina and Lyannara were gathering whatever miscellaneous supplies they could gather, Jaina from the Mage Quarter and Lyannara from her contacts in the Black Market.

The Auction House was a bit slow today, but the two were glad for that, it gave them the time to really look over the massive lists along the walls. The lists were magical papers tied to a master book that listed the items up for auction and who was selling it, along with a description of the items and the enchantments on them, relative quality, current bid price and how much the item was to simply buy it immediately.

The two were going over the pages of auctions and buying out items they would need, Alurmi making the purchases and Meridia keeping track of what they had spent and what they had left. Between the two of them, they were making the money they had go as far as possible. After they made sure they had everything they needed, they started going back over the list for materials and a few items being sold for far less than they were actually worth, purchasing them as well to possibly resell after they managed to gain a base of operations. For this part, they mainly stuck to raw materials, figuring they could make potions and items out of them for the group and sell the excess supplies to gather funds for the organization.

"How much do we have left?" Alurmi asked.

Meridia's response was immediate. "Two hundred and forty-seven gold. I managed to make these coins go further because they were 'rare' and no one has seen them before, as well as being larger and heavier than the normal Alliance coins."

Alurmi looked impressed and asked quietly, "How much were they worth?"

"One gold and fifty-five silver," Meridia said with a smirk. "Better than my original estimate, but not quite as much as I was trying for."

"That's still impressive," Alurmi replied. "I wonder if the others managed as much."

Meridia scowled and responded, "They better not have gone below one gold and twenty silver for them. I told them that was the minimum they were worth."

Alurmi giggled and said, "True. Let's finish up here and get to the tavern. They'll hold our purchases for up to three days while we arrange storage and transport. I made sure to tell the others to inquire about similar services at the vendors they went to."

Meridia nodded in agreement, and the two continued to make their purchases.

* * *

Karinaa and Kriinos were finishing up, having the same idea as Meridia and Alurmi. They had quite a bit left after gathering their supply list for the group, and went back around and bought up some raw materials at a good discount for buying in bulk, along with cheap pieces of scrap that Kriinos could melt down and reforge into bars or equipment. After arranging to pick up their purchases later, the two headed towards the tavern to meet up with the rest of their new group.

"What do you think about the rest of the group, Krii?" Karinaa asked softly.

Kriinos turned to his sister and responded, "Individually or as a whole?"

"Both," Karinaa said with a shrug.

Kriinos thought for a moment and replied, "They seem like good people, we both know of Jaina's reputation, so that's simple. I'm most worried about the warlock, however. I can see Harry trusts her, but I don't know why. According to him, she joined the group the day before we did, and I don't know what happened to garner that trust. It's too early to make conclusive decisions about anyone, though. As a whole, I think they will go far, and I get the feeling that Harry is testing all of us out for the core group of his organization, his lieutenants so to speak."

Karinaa nodded and questioned, "Wait and see?"

"Wait and see," Kriinos said with a nod.

* * *

Jaina was walking towards the tower in the middle of the Mage Quarter to meet up with Lyannara after she finished her shopping and arranged for pick-up later. She had been able to get a decent discount due to her reputation, along with a decent exchange rate for the coins. She sat on a bench at the base of the tower and waited for her friend, thinking over what she knew about Harry.

Twenty minutes later, Lyannara limped into view, sporting a bloody lip and a bruised cheek. Jaina sighed at the familiar sight and walked over to her friend. "What happened this time?" she asked.

Lyannara looked up and smirked, wincing a bit at the movement of her lip, and replied, "A few of the guys got a bit cheeky and far too grabby. It's dealt with. I stashed the purchases at my safehouse."

The mage sighed and said, "We should get you to the cathedral and get you healed up. I don't think Harry will leave it at 'it's dealt with'. He doesn't seem the type."

Lyannara nodded in agreement. "He was holding back at the Beer Garden, you know. He told me that he stuck to those prank spells because he didn't want to cause an incident and make problems for you. If it had been up to him, things might have been a bit more... bothersome, and likely permanent."

"Why do you think that?" Jaina questioned.

Lyannara shook her head and replied, "He doesn't handle prejudice well. He doesn't like it at all. It's why he's so hard on everyone in the group about it. You didn't see how he looked when that woman spoke." She shivered, looked over at Jaina and continued seriously, "It was terrifying. I don't _ever_ want him to look at me like that, I don't think I could handle it."

"All the more reason to get you healed up before he sees you," Jaina sighed.

Lyannara shook her head. "They won't heal me ever since their leader hit on me and I refused him. They're getting far too political and far less pious," She spat out. "I'm blacklisted there now."

Jaina scowled at that. It was just wrong on so many various levels. She looked back at Lyannara intending to push the issue and saw the resolve on her friend's face. She sighed and said, "Fine then. But you get to deal with Harry when he sees you."

Lyannara smiled wickedly and winced a bit at the movement, saying, "I'll handle it."

Suddenly, Jaina was intensely curious as to how her friend would do that.

* * *

"How are you feeling now that the voice is gone?" Jessir asked her student. After making their report, Lady Whisperwind had been told about what had been happening with Arko'narin. Tyrande had taken Arko'narin off to speak with privately, and they were unreachable for more than a day. While Jessir didn't know what happened between the two, Arko had told her that she was okay, at least for a while.

Arko'narin looked at her mentor and smiled. "Much better. More like myself now."

Jessir smiled back and said, "Good. Lets finish up here and meet up with the others. I have a feeling tomorrow will be spent gathering up all of our supplies."

"Should we look into getting a wagon for travel and keeping things seperate? It would be a good thing to have for supplies if Harry isn't around to work his magic," Arko'narin stated.

Jessir thought about it for a moment and replied, "It is. We'll bring the idea up when we meet up with him later. Wagons and horses are a bit expensive to maintain, and he's the one issuing all the funds for this from his own pocket."

Arko'narin nodded in agreement. The two of them had a rather large budget to work with, with rather little in the way of guidelines and restrictions. They both loved that part. They loved being Sentinels, but they were much more stringent on supplies and equipment. Harry, on the other hand, flat-out told them that if it was useful, then they should get it if they could, trusting their judgement on purchases. He did tell all of them that they should at least be able to somewhat justify the miscellaneous items not on the lists they were given, though. It was a different experience for the two career soldiers.

"I think that's everything," Jessir said, looking over the list. "Let's head to the tavern and meet up with the others. We'll most likely be making a day of gathering everything up tomorrow."

Arko'narin nodded and followed her mentor towards Old Town.

* * *

"So what exactly do I call you?" Mathias Shaw asked cautiously. The unknown figure was just that; an unknown. He had no idea what he or she wanted, what they looked like, how they operated, or anything else. The person was obviously skilled, however, to make it all the way into his office, ensure privacy, and get the drop on him.

"You can call me Watcher," the figure said. "I want to speak to you about this new organization."

Mathias narrowed his eyes and responded, "Are you a member? _The Worldwalkers_ isn't it?"

Watcher nodded and replied, "No, I am not a member, but their goals are similar to mine. Namely the end of the Burning Legion and the Lich King." Watcher continued, "I managed to place one of my best members in their organization to keep an eye on how things develop. I'd recommend that you do the same."

"And what organization do you represent?" Mathias asked.

Watcher stared at Mathias for a moment before replying, "My organization is known as The Unspeakables." Watcher raised his hand to forestall Mathias' next question and continued, "And you have never heard of us because there has never been a reason for you to. We are far, _far_ more selective than even the Stormwind Assassins."

Mathias stared at Watcher for a moment and questioned, "Why should I put a member of my own in their group?"

Watcher chuckled and replied, "Are you really willing to let a brand new organization form without even attempting to get inside information on them?" Watcher stood and snapped his fingers, vanishing the chair he had been sitting on into nothingness. "According to my information, they will be at the Pig and Whistle Tavern for a while. By all reports, this Harry seems to be pretty honest with his members. Send your person as an official attachment and you'll likely get quite a bit more than you would by simply spying," Watcher added with a vague wave of his hand. With that, the figure snapped once more, causing the door to swing open, and disappeared.

Mathias sat there for a moment in thought before striding to the door and calling for one of his best agents.

* * *

On the way out, a disillusioned Harry cast a number of memory modification charms on everyone in the building. As far as everyone else was concerned, Harry had come by to have a chat with Mathias and was told he was busy and not receiving visitors. He made his way back to the alley he left his bag down and shed his Unspeakable robes, dropping them in a trunk and removing a shrunken book that he put in his pocket, and packed everything back up. He swung his backpack over his shoulders and dropped the wards and protections on the alley before making his way to the tavern to meet up with the others.

It didn't take him long to find it, and he headed inside, found a large table on the second floor, and started warding it for privacy and security. As far as anyone else was concerned, the people at the table would simply be trading stories and they wouldn't want to pay attention to them. As soon as he was done, he sat down near the railing so he could see the floor below and keep an eye out for the rest of his group.

The first pair to arrive was Jessir and Arko'narin, immediately followed by Karinaa and Kriinos. He waved them up to the table and the four grabbed drinks at the bar before climbing the stairs and taking a seat.

"You all seem surprisingly empty handed for having spent quite a bit of time gathering supplies," Harry said jokingly with a grin.

Kriinos smiled and said, "Funny story really. We were juggling the massive amount of items on our heads, when suddenly a gnome popped out of nowhere and released a large chicken. The guards weren't having any luck fighting it, so we thought we'd lend a hand. We started throwing the items at the chicken, but the armor kits and scraps stuck to the giant bird, and it swallowed up the ammunition. Well, apparently nature works quite quickly when it comes to huge demonic chickens, and it started firing the ammunition at everything. Long story short, there's a massive, well-armored demonic chicken out there firing arrows and bullets behind it everywhere it goes, and the Dwarven Quarter will never look the same. On the plus side, fertilizer prices have plummeted."

By the end of the story, Jessir and Arko'narin were staring at Kriinos oddly, Harry couldn't stop laughing at the mental picture, and Karinaa was shaking her head in annoyance. The Draenei priestess sighed and cuffed her brother across the head, saying, "Don't listen to the idiot. We couldn't carry everything, so we arranged to pick it all up either later today or tomorrow at the latest."

Kriinos sniffed, looked down his nose at his sister and said imperiously, "My story was a far better rendition of events." Karinaa slowly turned to her brother and glared at him. Kriinos slid his chair away from her and added, "But I suppose it might be a touch untrue." At Karinaa's raised eyebrow, Kriinos threw his hands in the air and continued, "Fine, it was a complete fabrication, but it was far more humorous than the truth."

Harry chuckled and said, "To be honest, I'd take the loss of the coin if I could see that in person."

Kriinos smiled brightly and said, "See! At least someone has a sense of humor!" Karinaa just sighed at her brother's antics and shook her head.

Just then, the rest of the party entered the tavern. Harry started to wave them up and froze, scowling dangerously at the way Lyannara was limping and the bruise on her cheek and busted lip. He needed to talk to her anyway, but first he was going to find out what happened. He spun away from the table and stalked down the steps, stopping in front of Lyannara. "What happened?" Harry demanded.

Lyannara grinned and winced, saying, "Nothing I couldn't handle. It's taken care of."

Harry glared at her for a moment before pinching the bridge of his nose with a sigh. "Fine. But we're going to talk. Now." He turned to Jaina and said, "We'll be back shortly. Head on up."

Lyannara winced at the tone and followed Harry out of the tavern. "Look, it's no big deal. It's the risk everyone takes when they deal with the Black Market."

Harry turned and glared. "New rule. No one goes anywhere without backup. I'll let the others know when we get back."

"That's not really possible there," Lyannara sighed. "They don't handle new people well. What's the big deal anyway?"

Apparently that was the wrong question to ask. Harry spun on his heel and snarled out, "_No one_ fucks with one of mine. Full stop."

Lyannara stumbled to a stop, eyes wide. She opened her mouth to say something, but found nothing to say. Harry spun back around and stalked off, leaving Lyannara to catch up with him. When she did she asked, "One of yours?"

Harry just nodded and continued walking. After a moment he found an empty alleyway and led the warlock into it for some privacy. He turned around and took a deep breath to calm himself and asked, "How bad are you hurt?"

Lyannara shrugged in response and answered, "Just bruised. It'll heal in a few days." She smirked and added, "I don't think you drug me into an alley for some fun, so what did you want the privacy to talk about?"

Harry stared into her eyes for a long moment, as if judging her for something. Finally he turned and raised his wand, casting for several minutes. Lyannara felt the magic roll off of him in pulses and settle in a small bubble around them. As soon as he was done, he said, "You can't tell anyone about what I'm about to tell you. Anyone at all, not even Jaina." Harry snorted and muttered, "Especially not her." He sighed and continued, "I need your word that this doesn't go beyond the two of us until I tell you otherwise."

This time Lyannara stared at Harry in judgement. Harry was the first person that really defended her being a warlock. Even Jaina had made a few remarks and let things slide more than she should have over the years. Sure, Jaina was civil with her, but they were nothing like they once were. Seeing just how serious he was about whatever this was, she nodded slowly and said, "Whatever this is stays between us. I swear it."

Harry nodded and said, "I'm starting a second group, outside of _The Worldwalkers_. I can't officially do some things as a public figure, so this second organization is designed to take care of those things. Problem is, I need a second in command, someone to make appearances either to me or in my presence, or people will put the pieces together rather quickly."

Lyannara stared at him in shock. Finally she said, "What, you want me to recommend someone?"

Harry snorted and replied, "No. I want you to be my second in command."

Lyannara's jaw dropped in shock. After a moment she asked, "And if I say no?"

"Then I remove this conversation from your memory and we leave here with you thinking that I was questioning you about your contacts in the Black Market," Harry said with a shrug.

Lyannara looked horrified. Remove her memory? While she could see the reasons from a security standpoint, it seemed wrong on so many levels. "Am I the first person you've approached about this?" At Harry's nod, she asked, "Why me?"

"You remind me of myself," Harry replied. "And I think that this is something you could excel at. I'll have to teach you quite a bit of my kind of magic, and you have the discipline to not let the power corrupt you. A lot of the skills I'm going to be teaching you have massive potential for abuse."

Lyannara thought for a moment and nodded. "I'm in."

Harry grinned and said, "Good. The first thing you're going to start learning is this." He pulled a tiny book out of his pocket and enlarged it, handing it to her. Lyannara took the book from him and read the title, _Occluding the Mind_. She opened it and read the introduction, eyes widening at the implications. She looked up at Harry, the question on her mind in her eyes. Harry nodded and said, "I'm a master at both arts. I try not to intrude, but some thoughts get broadcast and it's impossible not to pick them up. Now, rules." Harry looked at her seriously and continued, "One, everything I teach you must be kept secret. Some of these spells and skills can not fall into anyone else's hands. Two, no one can know about mine or your involvement in this organization. We're called Unspeakables, by the way. Three, if you're on Unspeakable business, you wear our robes over your current ones, and you don't carry anything identifiable. Four, if we're in our Unspeakable uniform, we only refer to each other in codenames. Mine is Watcher, we'll come up with yours later. There will be more later, but those are the basics. Now let's head back."

Lyannara nodded and slid the book into her bag, determined to not let him down.

* * *

"Hey you two. Where did you head off to?" Alurmi asked as Harry and Lyannara sat down at the table. Harry opened his mouth to answer, but Lyannara beat him to it.

"Down an alleyway for some crazy wild monkey sex."

Harry did his utmost best to keep a straight face and not laugh at the look on everyone's face, he really did, but Alurmi spoke up and he broke down laughing.

"And you didn't invite me?"

Lyannara shook her head and said sadly, "You really need to practice keeping a straight face, Harry. You didn't even let me get to the part with the donkey and glow-in-the-dark paint."

Harry shook his head and continued to chuckle. "Anyway, on to business. I take it everyone arranged to pick up everything tomorrow?"

Everyone at the table nodded and Arko'narin spoke up. "Jessir and I were wondering if getting a wagon and a couple horses would be worth it. It would make transport and travel easier on us as a group."

Harry thought for a bit and nodded. "We probably should, and I have some ideas for making a wagon more comfortable. We'll have to make some modifications, though." He started planning out charms and protections in his head. "We still need to recruit a couple more people, first. Any other business before we start that?"

"How did your meeting with Mathias go?" Jaina asked curiously.

"Didn't get one," Harry said, shaking his head. "Apparently he was busy and not to be disturbed." He shrugged and continued, "Not really worried about it, it was more of a secondary concern than anything else. I can always try again later. Did everyone gather everything on their lists?"

Everyone nodded and Meridia added, "Alurmi and I purchased some things that we can resell for a good profit later, along with a number of raw materials we can store and use later or resell as well."

Karinaa nodded and said, "We did as well."

"Good thinking. I'm sure that will come in handy later and it's a good start on supplying us for the long-term. Anyone else?" Harry asked the group.

Lyannara leaned forward and said, "My contacts wouldn't let me arrange for pickup later, not that I'd trust them that far anyway. I stashed everything I bought in my house here in the city. I figure we can stay there tonight and use that place to sort through everything tomorrow and get it stored properly."

Harry nodded in agreement. "So we have somewhere secure to store and sort things for this expedition. We'll start on that early tomorrow. For now though, we wait and see if spreading the word is going to yield any results. I'm dropping the wards now, so watch what you say from here on out." Harry waved his wand and the magically sensitive people at the table felt the magics dissipate.

Potential after potential approached the group, only to be rebuffed after a _legilimency_ scan. Some were thieves, others didn't have the mindset to do well in the core group, and still others were looking to simply ride on their coattails and coast by with minimal work. It was two hours later that the first two that had the makings of members arrived at the table. One was a burly dwarf with long red hair and a giant fiery beard, a scar down one side of his face, clad in plate armor and carrying two massive battle-axes. His partner was a male gnome with a wide grin, red goggles on his head, and wearing a robe that was almost too long for him.

"I hear ye be recruitin'," the male dwarf said in a gruff voice. "I'm Garrim Thunderaxe, and this be my partner, Hagin Geargrinder."

"Salutations!" Hagin piped in with a wave.

A quick _legilimency_ scan from Harry showed that these two had the makings of solid members. He smiled and said, "Have a seat." As soon as they were settled, Harry made the introductions to the rest of the group and asked his first question. "So how do you two feel about members of the Horde?"

Garim shrugged and said, "Don't reallae matter ta me much, long as I ain't bein' attacked by 'em."

Hagin frowned and added, "I don't much care for goblins." He snorted in derision and continued, "Calling themselves engineers. Other than that, I'm the same as my friend."

"Could you work with members of the Horde amicably towards a common goal?" Harry asked seriously, still using light _legilimency_ to detect any lies.

The two looked at each other for a moment and shrugged. "Depends on the goal," Hagin said.

Harry leaned back and replied, "The destruction of the Burning Legion and the Lich King."

Garrim whistled lowly and said, "'At's a mighty high goal. Ye reallae think ye can manage it?" Harry simply nodded and Garrim leaned back in thought. After a moment he said, "'En I can manage workin' wit' just 'bout anyone."

"Even goblins," Hagin added seriously.

After a moment of regarding the two, Harry grinned and said, "Then welcome to _The Worldwalkers_." He tossed the two new members their tabards and added, "We're gearing up for an expedition to acquire a base of operations. We've already bought supplies and spare equipment, and we're picking it all up and sorting it out tomorrow."

The two new members unfurled the tabards and looked them over. It was an emerald green piece of cloth with a white outline of Azeroth and border embroidered in it with a white lily, a grey wolf, a black dog, and a white stag at the North, West, East, and South points respectively. The two long-time partners nodded at the design and slipped the fabric over their armor.

The group sat around and got to know each other better when someone tapped Harry on the shoulder. He turned and saw a woman in black and grey leather armor with two daggers strapped to her hips. She had long blonde hair hanging loosely down to her shoulders and bright blue eyes. "Are you the leader of _The Worldwalkers_?" she asked him.

Harry looked at her for a moment and said, "Yes, I am. What can I do for you?" He absently noted the rest of the group lay hands on their weapons, readying for a scuffle.

Apparently the woman noticed as well. She took a half-step back and said, "Easy. Mathias Shaw sent me. He apologizes for not being able to see you earlier, he was apparently in a rather intense and unexpected meeting when you showed up." She turned to Jaina and added, "He also wanted me to say that you still owe him fifty silver and a deck of cards."

Jaina relaxed and said, "It's fine, Harry."

Harry blinked and turned to Jaina curiously. At her insistent nod, he turned back to the woman and said, "Nice. Three part key phrase I take it?"

The woman looked rather surprised at having that called out. "Yes, actually. How did you know?"

Harry just grinned and replied, "So what can I do for you?"

She shook her head and said, "I'm Jasmine Nightshade. I'm supposed to see about joining your group as an attachment to SI:7."

Harry took a moment to gently probed her mind, looking for inconsistencies and any future problems that might come up. When he was done he spoke, "Alright then, consider this your try-out," causing the woman to smile brightly.


	11. Traveling in Style

**Disclaimer:**

I don't own anything related to the rights of Harry Potter or Warcraft.

**Author's Note:**

I received a request to start adding a list of characters at the end of each chapter, similar to what plums does in _Wizard Runemaster_, to help readers remember who is who and whatnot, so the end of this chapter has that.

No Beta, so all mistakes are my own.

**(Aug. 20th, 2013)** - Reworked and tweaked.

**Publish Date:** Mar. 31st, 2013

**Update Date:** Aug. 20th, 2013

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

Traveling in Style

Harry woke early the next morning and began his meditations. So far, things in his mindscape were just as he remembered them, with only subtle differences he examined thoroughly and concluded it was simply the effect of being in a different world and altogether benign. He came out of it to find the others talking and preparing for the day.

"So what should we pick up first?" Meridia asked. "And how are we going to go about this?"

Lyannara responded, "Since the auction house will keep our purchases the longest, Alurmi and Meridia can stay here and start sorting out supplies, the rest of us can pair off like yesterday and make trips out to pick everything up. Harry, Garrim, Hagin and I can go look for a suitable wagon and horses. Then we can all go and pick up the supplies that Alurmi and Meridia bought because that's probably going to be the biggest order we have."

Arko'narin frowned a bit and said, "Why are you four going to look for a wagon and horses?"

Lyannara smiled and replied, "Harry needs to go because he knows what he needs to make his magic work, Garrim said last night that he's a good woodworker and can judge the quality of the wagons for sale, Hagin is an engineer and can come up with a plan for any alterations we need to make, and before I started studying magic, I was going to take over the family business as a breeder. I still remember what I learned, even if I don't use it often."

Arko'narin tried to find a reason to argue, but there really wasn't one. After a moment she sighed and nodded in agreement, and no one else spoke up. Harry looked around and said, "Alright then, we have a plan. Give me a minute and we'll get started." He dug out a number of trunks and enlarged them, lining them up against the wall and opened them. He turned to Meridia and Alurmi and said, "Those trunks will hold quite a bit, so store things in those."

Alurmi walked over and looked down into one of the trunks. Her eyes widened and she exclaimed, "There's an entire room in there!" She lifted one side of the trunk to check the bottom and set it back down, looking back into the trunk. "How does that work?"

Harry shrugged and simply said, "Space expansion charms."

The group came over and looked in the trunks, showing varying levels of surprise and shock. There was a ladder attached to the side of the trunk to make it possible to get in and out, and the space was quite large, complete with shelves along the walls and tables to keep things up off the floor. After the shock wore off, Harry said, "These should make it easier to sort and store everything we purchased and not clutter up the space. Once the trunk is closed, everything will stay in place, so no worries about being careful during transport. Let's get to work."

The group wandered off to begin picking up their purchases, a task that would take most of the day. Harry, Garrim, Hagin, and Lyannara were walking along, Garrim and Hagin in front, talking and joking, while Harry and Lyannara walked a bit behind them. Lyannara broke the silence between her and Harry by quietly saying, "I'd like to talk to you about some things in private later, some questions I have about business."

Harry turned to her and nodded, knowing what she was talking about. "Later today if we can get away. If not, then as soon as it's convenient." After a short moment of silence, Harry raised a few privacy wards centered on himself and asked, "So what made you want to take up magic instead of the family business?"

"The family business was burned to the ground," Lyannara replied with a hard edge. "And my family was slaughtered shortly thereafter. I started studying magic to be strong enough to not let something like that happen again, but the mage path was too slow, and the Kirin Tor was too geared towards research, so I began picking up fel magics." She sighed and looked away, saying sadly, "It was a shortcut to greater power. By the time I realized that I had made a mistake, I was too far gone to be welcomed back."

Harry looked at her intensely for a long moment. Lyannara shifted and looked down, unable to meet his gaze. Finally he spoke, "I think I might have a codename for you, now."

Lyannara snorted, still unable to look at him. "What, failure?"

Harry shook his head. "Usually when one entered the organization, they inherit a name from a former member. I inherited my boss' when I started this in Azeroth. I think you should inherit my old codename, but if you don't want to, it's fine."

"What name?" Lyannara asked softly.

Harry turned to her and waited for her to look up and meet his eyes. When she did, he answered softly, "Guardian."

* * *

The next three days were a hectic rush to get everything ready. Garrim and Hagin got the wagon ready, enclosing it and making it a mobile room with a covered seat so the driver wouldn't get wet when it rained. Everyone else pitched in with the sorting and organizing of supplies, making last minute purchases, and filling in wherever they could. Harry spent time digging through his books for the charms he would need and etching runes all over the wagon's surface. He refused to let anyone look inside while he was working, saying he wanted it to be a surprise. Harry spent more time working than anyone else, casting preservation charms on food, featherlight charms on heavy items, protection and unbreakable runes on nearly everything, and when the rest of the group compared notes, they noticed several instances where he was literally in more than one place at the same time. When he was asked about it, he simply grinned and said it was magic, refusing to elaborate any further on it and shutting down any questioning on the subject.

On the morning of the fourth day, everyone stepped outside to find Harry bouncing excitedly in place with a wide grin on his face. "Everything is ready with the wagon. Go on, everyone. Climb in and take a look."

Seeing the others hesitate, Lyannara stepped forward and walked to the door in the side of the wagon, opened it, and stepped inside. Everyone waited with bated breath for her to say something. They were all a bit confused as to what she meant when they heard her say, "Huh. Well that's interesting."

One by one, they stepped inside to find a large central room with a kitchen on one side and doors along the walls with their names carved in each one, along with a door that lead directly to the driver's seat. Lyannara, still heading the pack, walked to the door with her name on it, and threw it open.

As soon as Lyannara opened the door to what was now her room, she froze in shock and her breath left her lungs in a rush. It was beautifully decorated in dark greens and blues, a desk on the far wall under a window showing the view from outside the wagon next to a currently empty bookshelf, a four poster bed, a wardrobe and dresser, and a door leading to an attached bathroom. She absolutely loved it. She heard Garrim sum up everyone's thoughts about their new accommodations.

"Now this is travelin' in style!"

She turned and saw Harry standing in the middle of the common room, grinning like an idiot. She smiled brightly at him and said, "Definitely a surprise worth the wait." She looked around and saw into everyone's rooms, all tailored for them. Garrim's looked like it was carved out of stone, Meridia, Arko'narin and Jessir's looked like a forest, with the furniture grown naturally, Hagin's was a mechanical wonderland with a giant workbench for his engineering experiments, Kriinos and Karinaa had rooms that looked like they were taken straight from the Exodar, Alurmi had a wooded area with a small cave for her whelp form, Jaina's was similar to her study in the Violet Hold, and Jasmine's was dark, with well placed lighting to leave enough shadows but still be able to see what one was doing.

"So everyone like their rooms?" Harry asked, receiving grins and affirmative nods. "So who's going to take first shift driving this thing? Because I have no idea how."

Lyannara laughed and shut her door, saying, "I will. Let the others get a feel for the place. I can wait."

Harry nodded and called out, "Okay everyone, let's get everything loaded up and ready to leave!"

"Considering we have the room for it now, there are some things that I've stored in the bank that I'd like to pick up to decorate my room, along with some of my tools. Since the banks are all linked together, it's a simple matter to get it out of storage," Hagin said.

Seeing others agreeing, Harry nodded and said, "Alright then everyone, head off and pick up your stuff. We'll head out in an hour."

After gathering their things from the bank, Harry was helping Lyannara hitch up the two horses, the others were loading in the trunks and lining them up against the wall next to the door for easy access to their supplies. As soon as everyone was settled, Lyannara started the horses moving and they made their way out of the city. During the ride through Elwynn Forest, Harry flipped through some of his ritual books, making notes and adjustments in a small notebook. Finally her curiosity got the better of her and she asked, "What are you doing?"

Harry looked up at her and said, "Coming up with a ritual. Well, trying to at least. I'm starting to think I'm going to need some help with this one. I've gotten most of it put together, but some of the subtleties and intricacies are beyond me."

"Where are you planning to get help for it? And what's it do?" Lyannara questioned curiously.

"It's designed to restore the body back to a functional state. Basically a way to return someone back to life." Harry answered. He sighed and continued, "It's part of my deal with Sylvanas. She gets her people to help me and in return I restore the Forsaken back to the land of the living." He closed his books and slid them into his bag, giving up for the moment. He ran his fingers through his hair and huffed, saying, "As for getting help, I know who to talk to, but getting to a place where I can speak with her is a bitch."

Lyannara tilted her head and asked, "Why is that?"

"Because I have to die to do it," Harry sighed.

* * *

Garrim was in the process of setting up an intricate model of the central area of Ironforge. The pieces themselves weren't delicate, but it was prone to falling apart until everything was attached. Once it was fully assembled, it was as solid as stone, but until then, there was always a risk of it tumbling down.

He was smiling as he picked up the last piece, lined it up, and-

"**WHAT?!"**

-the model fell into pieces. Garrim sighed and started sorting out the parts. _ Looks like I'll be startin' over_, he thought to himself. _Oh well. Least I ain't dealin' wit' explosives like Hagin likely is_.

* * *

Hagin was grinning madly, tinkering away at his new workbench. He was trying to improve on the power supply for his various inventions, attempting to make it more compact and lighter. Picking up the last wire that needed to be attached, he noticed a flaw in the design. The last wire needed to be attached at the back of the device. Any attempt to attach it earlier would cause the power generated to feed back into the power cell, quickly causing a detonation, destroying the device. He shrugged to himself, thinking that he could fix that small oversight on the next model.

This was going to be the most difficult and delicate part of the procedure. He attached the first half of the wire, and began carefully threading the other end into place. He had to be extra cautious with this half, because touching any exposed wires now would have the same effect as attaching it too early. He was almost there, just a little-

"**WHAT?!"**

-dive under the bed as the power cell whined and overloaded, scattering tools and scrap across the room and leaving behind a black scorch mark on the workbench.

Hagin stood and brushed himself off, looking around the room. _Such a mess_, he thought to himself. _Oh well. At least I can improve on the design before rebuilding it_.

* * *

Jasmine was sitting at her desk mixing up a new batch of poisons, restocking her current toxins and perfecting one that she had been working on for more than two years. This particular concoction was a long-acting poison that worked in stages, culminating in a stacking effect of all three results. It could be ingested, absorbed through the skin, or, if necessary, rendered into a gas and inhaled.

The first stage induced a euphoric state, causing the person to become excessively giddy and much more talkative.

The second stage lowered the target's inhibitions, made them made them more apt to answer questions and do things that they normally wouldn't.

The third would induce hallucinations in a person, and in combination with the first two effects, made interrogations far easier.

After it wore off, the person would have the worst hangover they had ever experienced, bar none.

Jasmine was almost done mixing what she was fondly calling _Maiden's Kiss_. She just had to shake it for a minute, uncork it, and let it air out a bit to reduce the potency some. She finished shaking it, pulled off the stopper, and started pouring it into the set aside vials. She just needed a bit-

"**WHAT?!"**

-splashed on her skin. She stared wide-eyed at the spot where her brand new toxin had soaked into her arm, one word repeating over and over in her head.

_Fuck_.

* * *

"Damn, woman! Did you have to screech right in my ear?" Harry said. "I think there might be some deaf Night Elves in Darnassus that didn't quite hear you."

Lyannara was standing up, glaring down at Harry, fists clenched tightly, scowling dangerously. "What do you mean, die?!" she hissed out.

Harry turned and glared back. "I mean exactly what I said, die. As in the opposite of alive."

Lyannara's eyes narrowed and she hissed, "And just how are you expecting to do anything if you're _dead_?"

Harry blinked owlishly and replied, "Oh, right. You don't know yet. Sit down and I'll explain."

Lyannara dropped down into her seat, still glaring at him. The further he got in his story, the more the glare lessened, until he finished his tale and she was looking at him with an unreadable expression. "That's a horrible fate, not being able to stay dead. I guess it could be useful at times, but still... You have to outlive everyone you ever get close to, don't you?"

Harry smiled sadly and responded, "You know, you're the first person I've told that's made that connection. Everyone else sees it as a blessing, being able to live forever." He shook his head and sighed. "I'll never get to move on, never get a chance to spend time with my family." He looked at the ring on his finger and scowled, "I have to be satisfied with a shade of who they were, nothing more."

"I'm sorry," Lyannara whispered sadly. "I may not be able to help you shoulder that particular burden, but the least I could do is help you stay standing, not let you collapse under the weight of it."

Harry grinned and said, "I'd appreciate that." He took a deep breath and continued, "But enough about that for now. How are your _Occlumency_ studies coming along?"

"Difficult. I notice a lot of the book seems to say what your teacher is supposed to be doing," She replied pointedly.

Harry nodded in agreement, saying, "I know, but I wanted you to start getting used to the meditation and exercises before we start." He turned to her and added, "The beginning is the hardest part, it's where most people give up. When we begin, I'll start walking you through building your mindscape. You will have to sort your memories before you can start constructing your shields and defenses." He sighed and continued, "For the first year at least, you'll need to meditate every night, sorting your memories from the day and reinforcing and strengthening your shields and defenses. You'll also need to constantly focus to keep your shields up all the time, because I'll be checking," he said with a grin. "Eventually, it'll become subconscious to keep them up, but until then it's going to take consistent concentration. This is where most others give up, because they simply don't have the discipline to constantly keep a mental wall." He sat in thought for a moment and continued, "Think of it like a mask. Eventually it becomes second nature, but at first you have to work at keeping it up all the time."

Lyannara nodded in agreement. "So how long have you been studying this?"

Harry tilted his head in thought and said, "About twenty years."

Lyannara blinked in surprise and asked, "Exactly how old are you?"

"Forty," Harry said with a chuckle.

"Oh."

They continued on in a peaceful silence, only broken by the sound of the wagon rolling along the road. It was about half an hour later when the door between the inside of the wagon swung open and Jasmine tumbled through, grinning and giggling madly. She turned and spotted Harry, grinned wider, and immediately plopped down in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. She stopped her giggling suddenly, leaned back and studied him intensely for a moment before breaking out in titters again. "Why do you have to be so damn attractive?" she asked drunkenly.

Lyannara turned slowly and arched an eyebrow at the woman's forwardness. Harry just looked at her in confusion and asked, "What?" Jasmine frowned and dropped her head on his shoulder, nuzzling into his neck. Harry looked over her head at Lyannara, extreme confusion showing on his face. "What is going on?" he mouthed to Lyannara who just shrugged in response. Harry sighed and asked, "What are you talking about, Jasmine?"

The woman in his lap nuzzled further into his neck with a sigh, giggling occasionally. After a moment she replied, "You're too attractive. It makes it difficult to do my job with you distracting me all the time."

"And what job is that?" Harry asked curiously.

Jasmine looked up at him and said innocently, "Spying on you and making sure you don't take over the world."

Harry snorted and swallowed his laughter. "If I really wanted to take over the world, there's not much you could do to stop me, Jasmine."

She nodded into his neck and said seriously, "I know. But I'm still supposed to try. Even if it kills me."

Harry stilled. "Even if it kills you?" he repeated. He turned his head and looked at Lyannara, who looked as shocked at all this as he felt. Lyannara shook her head at him and shrugged her shoulders, indicating that she had no idea what the woman was talking about.

Jasmine nodded into his neck again and added, "I'm supposed to do what I can to make sure you don't go evil and go on a rampage and burn down Stormwind, among other things."

Harry couldn't contain his curiosity and asked, "What other things?"

"Hmm?" Jasmine looked up at him and blinked a few times before saying, "Oh, I'm supposed to find out who the other spy in your group is, and find out everything I can about their organization. Master Shaw was rather vague on that point. It was almost as if he wasn't physically able to give me any more than that to go on. I'm also supposed to keep all this a secret, so don't tell anyone, 'kay? Oh! And I am not, under any circumstances whatsoever, supposed to try and get in your pants. Master Shaw was quite clear on that part. Unfortunately that's proving to be quite difficult." Lyannara snorted at that and bit down on her hand to stifle her laughter, her shoulders shaking harshly in mirth.

Harry sighed. "What happened to make you tell me all of this?"

"I accidentally poisoned myself while I was working on perfecting a new toxin I invented. It's a rather ingenious new concoction that makes it easier to interrogate people," Jasmine stated seriously, worrying Harry.

"Jasmine, is that new poison deadly?" Harry asked seriously.

Jasmine shook her head and replied, "Nope. Not in the slightest."

Harry nodded and said, "Good. So how long does it last?"

Jasmine frowned in thought and said, "About eight hours."

"And how long have you been affected by it?" Harry questioned.

Jasmine hummed in thought and answered, "About three hours. It should wear off sometime late this afternoon. I'll have a horrible hangover though."

Harry sighed and said, "Well then, I'm not sure that you're going to remember this, but for what it's worth, I'm sorry."

Jasmine looked at him quizzically and asked, "For wha-"

"Somnus."

* * *

Early that evening, they stopped at Westbrook Garrison, just before the bridge into Westfall. They probably could have continued a bit further, but the extra distance wasn't worth the hassle of posting guards that night to protect the horses. There would be no shortage of time for that in the future. Jasmine had recovered from her poison, and unfortunately remembered the entire incident. Harry had given her a hangover potion to ease the aftereffects, and she winced when he told her that they would be talking later.

A wanted poster sparked a new discussion for the group, whether or not to pick up tasks as they traveled or head straight for Karazhan. Jessir was the one that pointed out some things to the entire group that silenced practically all opposition. "This 'Hogger' is a threat to the farmers and travelers in this section of Elwynn. Didn't Harry create _The Worldwalkers_ to act as protectors? Can we honestly just shrug out shoulders and say 'not our problem' and still call ourselves such?"

It was decided that Harry and Jasmine would scout out the area, look for Hogger, and come back for reinforcements if there was more than they could handle alone. Alurmi snorted at that and said, "After seeing you on Mount Hyjal, some gnolls will be stupidly easy." Harry just rolled his eyes and headed off with Jasmine trailing behind him, while Arko'narin, Jessir, and Alurmi told the others about what happened at Nordrassil Inn.

Harry and Jasmine made their way south along the riverbank, staying in the shadows and keeping their eyes open for their target. They counted six camps of gnolls, all loosely grouped together, but still far enough away from each other that they couldn't communicate easily. They finally found Hogger, prowling around the south riverbank alone. He was far bigger than the others they had seen in the loosely formed camp, wearing patchwork leather armor, a large spiked collar, and wielding a wicked-looking stone axe.

To Harry, he just looked like a big, bipedal, hunchbacked dog.

Harry nudged Jasmine to get her attention. "This one's all yours. Let's see what the spy can do," he whispered in her ear.

Jasmine winced a bit at the words, but couldn't suppress the shiver that ran up her spine at having him so close to her. She sighed quietly and checked to make sure her daggers were still envenomed. Seeing that they were, she stalked towards her target, fading from Harry's view and she did so. She followed Hogger until he was a decent distance away from the gnoll camps, and waited for him to pause in his prowling. As soon as he was stationary, Jasmine moved closer behind him, gritted her teeth and tensed, preparing to shove her daggers into Hogger's back, one in the heart and one in the lung, just as she was taught.

Unfortunately, as she was in motion, so was Hogger. He turned and threw off Jasmine's angle of attack, one dagger glancing off the Gnoll King's armor, the other biting into his arm. _Shit_, Jasmine thought. _This is not good_.

Hogger roared and swung at the rogue with his damaged arm, twisting the dagger embedded in it out of her grasp and backhanding her off to the side. Jasmine slammed back first into a nearby tree with a sickening thud, causing the air to leave her lungs with an explosive rush and her vision to blur.

Hogger ripped the dagger out of his arm and tossed it to the side. He glared at the dazed rogue and roared, charging at her and swinging his axe wildly. Jasmine's head cleared enough for her to see the massive form of Hogger bearing down on her. Her eyes widened and she rolled out of the way, coming up and sprinting towards her discarded dagger. Hogger slammed into the tree hard enough to shake it's trunk before spinning around to spot it's prey, stalking towards her and growling angrily.

Jasmine tensed, readying herself for combat. As the Gnoll King swung at her, she twisted out of the way and cut into his arm, making him yip in pain. The dance continued, with Hogger swinging wildly and Jasmine twisting and spinning just enough to get out of the way, continuing to nick and cut every exposed piece of flesh she could reach. She didn't even try to block his attacks, knowing he was physically far stronger than her and knowing just how dangerous it would be to even try it with her daggers.

The fight turned into a battle of attrition, the small injuries on Hogger adding up to become dangerous, and in combination with the poison, Hogger was tiring quickly. Other than the minor injury Jasmine had sustained at the beginning, she was still going strong. One of the first lessons she ever learned was to not waste energy moving any more than was absolutely necessary.

It wasn't much longer until Hogger swung blindly and stumbled, overextending himself and completely exposing his unarmored side. Jasmine took advantage of the mistake by plunging both of her blades through his ribcage and into his lung. She twisted her daggers and ripped them out, spraying blood across her and the ground as Hogger fell and began gargling and choking, slowly drowning. He attempted to get up, only to fall back down in a heap as Jasmine kicked him hard in the stomach, knocking what little breath he had left out of his body. Soon, Hogger stopped moving, finally dead.

Jasmine kicked him twice more just to make sure.

She straightened up and looked around her, spotting Harry leaning against a tree. She frowned and said, "You could have helped, you know."

Harry grinned and replied, "You had it well enough in hand." He pointed over his shoulder back towards the gnoll camps and added, "Besides, I was a bit busy myself." She frowned further and looked closer at him. The first thing she noticed was that he had a silver sword in one hand and his wand in the other. She knew he hadn't been carrying a blade when they headed out. His hair was messier than usual, matted with blood, and he had bits of flesh stuck to his armor and blood splashed across his face. She couldn't tell in the darkness, but she was sure his armor was soaked in it as well.

Jasmine leaned to the side and looked past him, nearly vomiting at what she saw. She knew she was no stranger to bloodshed and death, but seeing every gnoll in pieces, with organs everywhere was quite a bit more than she was used to. She forced herself to look closer, and saw gnolls that had been choked with intestines, armored skeletons surrounded by massive pools of blood and strips of fur and flesh, some that had been literally cut into pieces, others that were twisted and broken masses of flesh and bone, and still others that had been burned black. She swallowed thickly and looked at Harry and back at the massacre, her mind unable to reconcile the attractive, kind and playful prankster she had come to know with the bloody butcher before her.

Harry took a step towards her, making her take an involuntary step away, causing him to flinch and sigh. He looked at her intensely and said, "I've been a fighter, a soldier, for twenty-five years. I fought against monsters in human disguises that reveled in rape and torture and murder, monsters that make the sight behind me look like Christmas morning. I worked alone for the most part, so I had to be absolutely sure I wasn't leaving an enemy at my back that could kill me. I've tailored my spell list to instill the most fear in my enemies, because a terrified enemy is one that has already lost the battle."

He pointed behind him again, saying, "Could I have done that without leaving such a mess?" He shrugged and continued, "Probably. But it would have been far more painful for them, and while killing is necessary, causing pain is _not_. Even the ones I burned died quickly." He sighed and asked, "Do you understand?" At Jasmine's hesitant nod, Harry said softly, "I'll understand if you want to leave and head back to Stormwind."

Jasmine looked at the scene and back at Harry and shook her head. "I'm staying." She grinned and added, "You can't get rid of me that easily."

Harry grinned back and nodded once. He sighed and pulled a trunk out of his pocket and enlarged it, saying, "Well, lets look around and see what we can scavenge. No sense in letting useful stuff rot out here in the woods."

As they were searching and piling the useful things in the trunk, Harry said, "So what can you tell me about this organization that has a spy in the group?"

Jasmine frowned in thought and replied, "Not much, actually. Master Shaw seemed unable to tell me anything other than that. He wanted to, but it seemed like something was stopping him every time he tried." She sighed and added, "It's rather frustrating actually."

"You realized there's two obvious outcomes in you finding whoever it is," Harry said. "Either the same thing will happen to you, and you'll be unable to report anything, or you'll be silenced in some other manner."

Jasmine jerked slightly and asked, "You think that they would kill me to keep this a secret?"

Harry shrugged and responded, "Not necessarily, but it is a risk. What are you supposed to do when you find out who they are anyway?"

"Find out what they want, and whether or not they are a risk to Stormwind," She sighed. "If they aren't I'm supposed to see about some kind of alliance, or at least a truce."

"And if they are?" Harry asked curiously.

Jasmine snorted and replied, "Then I'm screwed. I don't think I'll be able to handle that alone, but backup isn't an option." She sighed again and continued, "I'll do my best to stop it, but I'll likely be killed in the attempt."

Harry shook his head. "Not going to happen. Not while we're around at least." He grinned and added, "You're one of mine now, and will be as long as you're a part of this group."

Jasmine turned and smiled softly at him. "I don't think I mind that much."

Harry was silent for a moment before he spoke up. "You know, I already knew you were going to be reporting to Shaw about us. Just like I know Jaina is reporting to someone as well."

"Then why are you so open with us if you know that already?" Jasmine asked in confusion.

Harry shrugged and said, "I don't have anything to hide, so why act suspicious? I need allies if I'm going to take down Kil'jaeden and Arthas."

Jasmine nodded in agreement. "So you don't mind people keeping an eye on you?"

"Not really," Harry replied. "Not much I can do about it, other than sending you away." He turned and grinned at her and continued, "But then you would just spy on me from a distance wouldn't you?"

Jasmine grinned back and nodded once, saying, "Yep!"

* * *

Lyannara was the first one to spot Harry and Jasmine coming back. Both of them were bloody, but Harry more so, almost as if he had bathed in the viscous fluid. "I take it you two didn't need any help?" She asked with a smirk.

Harry shook his head and replied, "Nope. All taken care of. Even got a bunch of loot that we scavenged from the camps and corpses." He pulled out a piece of paper and continued, "Including the deed to a farm, but I'm betting the original owners want it back. Since we're heading that way anyway, keep an eye out for a Theodore or Verna Furlbrow."

Jasmine was carrying a bag, which she walked over and handed to Marshal Dughan, the man who had issued the bounty on Hogger. He opened the sack and looked in, immediately closing it and turning away for a moment to compose himself. He glared lightly at her and said flatly, "While I appreciate the proof that Hogger is officially taken care of, I'm not sure I needed to see that." He sighed and added, "Although I guess I was asking for it with posting wanted posters all over the place. Come with me and we'll get your payment sorted out. Shouldn't take more than a few moments."

Jasmine walked inside while Harry was talking with Meridia and Alurmi. Harry had put them in charge of keeping track of supplies and funds in and out of the organization. Alurmi had taken over sorting and keeping track of their items and equipment and Meridia had picked up a ledger in Stormwind to keep track of the coin, both currencies, coming in and out for the group.

"So what do you think we can do with all this stuff?" Harry asked, showing them the contents of the loot trunk.

Alurmi sifted through some of it, not really bothered by the blood and bits of fur stuck to varies pieces. "Most of it is scrap. We should be able to melt down the metal into bars and either sell it that way or reforge it into something useful, but that'll take time, and facilities we simply don't have yet." She looked around and continued, "Given that you have quite a bit of storage space, we can keep it until we get a good forge set up. I remember Kriinos saying he worked as a blacksmith on the side, and that he made his armor, shield and sword. If he can use the metal scrap, let him work with it. As for the leather, most of it can be cut up and salvaged for armor patches and smaller things, some of it is even big enough to make basic armor with, but I don't think we have a leatherworker who would be able to tell." She sighed and added, "As for the cloth, some of it is simply ruined, but you might want to get Lyannara down here to double-check that. As for the various other items, some we can use, the rest I'll set aside for selling."

Harry nodded and turned to Meridia, who was currently sorting and counting the coins they had found on the gnolls. Harry wasn't sure why they had money, but he wasn't going to complain since they acquired it. "How much did we make, Meridia?"

Meridia finished counting out the coins and wrote in her ledger for a moment. "You came away with two gold, fifteen silver, and eighty-three copper. Actually quite a bit for gnolls." She looked up at Harry and said, "While I don't mind keeping the books in order, I really do hope you find someone who likes to do this full-time soon." She grinned and added, "I much prefer my research."

Harry grinned back and said, "I'll add it to the list of things to get done."

"You better," Meridia agreed playfully. She grinned and added, "It's not like you'll find someone who's better at research than I am."

Harry laughed and said, "Agreed. Come on, let's head back to the rest of the group."

The three climbed out of the expanded trunk and Harry closed it up. They joined the group in the common area just as Jasmine came in carrying a small pouch and flipping a new dagger in her hand. She grinned as she sat down and said, "Made ten gold and got a new dagger out of the deal. I'll need to get it enchanted, but I think it might end up replacing one of my old ones."

"Ten gold doesn't sound like much," Harry frowned.

Meridia piped in and said, "Harry, gold doesn't have the same value here as where you're from. Ten gold is enough for a family to live comfortably for a week."

Jasmine looked at Harry and added, "I've been a member of SI:7 since I was thirteen. When I first started, I earned two gold a week, and it was enough for me to live on my own and still set up a nice little nest egg just in case everything went bad for me." She smiled and asked, "So what do we do about the coin we earn doing things like this? I still get paid from SI:7 because I'm an attachment to your organization, and technically this was earned as a member of the group, and not as an outside job for me."

Harry sighed and said, "I've been thinking about that." He ran his fingers through his hair and continued, "_The Worldwalkers_ does need funds to function, but I'm not sure how to do that. Anyone have any ideas?"

Hagin spoke up and said, "Well, Garrim and I used to be part of a guild that did various jobs all over Azeroth. All of the loot found and payment earned went into the guild, and the person or group that brought it in got a percentage of the coin and value of the items. They could take their payment in items or coin, and they got first shot at anything they brought in. It worked pretty well, actually, but it could sometimes take up to a week to get paid."

"That's not a bad idea. Why did you leave though?" Harry asked.

"Leadership changed, an' we had a differen' opinion on how things shoulda been run," Garrim shrugged. "Friendly enough parting on tha whole, however."

Harry nodded and looked at everyone. "So does anyone have any objections to a similar setup with us?" Seeing everyone agree, Harry turned to Alurmi and asked, "What do you think is the value of the items we brought in?"

Alurmi leaned back in thought, mentally doing the calculations. Eventually she said, "I'd say around four gold. A lot of it is going to take work to be usable, and that takes away from the overall worth."

Jasmine tossed the pouch to Harry and said, "That brings the total to-"

Sixteen gold, fifteen silver and eighty-three copper," Meridia interrupted. She looked at Jasmine and said, "I already counted up the coin you two gathered off the gnolls." The Night Elf turned to Harry and questioned, "What kind of percentage do we pay out?"

Harry hummed in thought and replied, "Twenty percent divided among the ones that do the job sound good with everyone?" Everyone nodded and Harry said, "Then twenty percent it is." He tossed the pouch to Meridia and said with a grin, "You handle all the money."

Meridia sighed in exasperation and rolled her eyes. She stood and responded, "Fine, I'll be right back."

The group sat around and talked for a bit, and when Meridia returned, she handed a pouch to Jasmine and said, "Three gold, twenty-three silver and sixteen copper." She turned to Harry and added, "I've already updated the books."

Harry nodded and looked around at the group. "We should probably get some sleep," he said. "We head into Westfall tomorrow, and I want everyone well rested for the journey. Lyannara, come with me, I need to talk to you."

The warlock nodded and left the wagon with Harry. They walked together in silence until they were near the road. Harry put up his privacy wards and leaned against a tree, saying, "You are about to get your first assignment as an Unspeakable. I want you to approach Jasmine. Apparently she's supposed to find out about us and assess if we're a threat to Stormwind. If we aren't she's supposed to try and form a more official alliance between us and SI:7." He looked at her and continued, "I want a report on both her and your judgment on whether or not an alliance is worth it."

Lyannara nodded hesitantly and asked, "What kind of report do you want on her personally?"

Harry grinned and replied, "I want to know where her loyalties ultimately lie. She doesn't seem to be too happy with SI:7 currently, and I think she's looking for a change. I want you to evaluate her for being a part of _The Unspeakables_." He sighed and continued, "I need to tell you the rules for this. One, _never_ refer to a member or yourself as 'he' or 'she', just use codenames. Secrecy is paramount. Two, if you aren't sure about an agreement, defer and say you have to report to your boss before it can be agreed upon."

Lyannara nodded again in agreement. "When do you want me to do this?"

"Now," Harry grinned. "It's the perfect time and I'm your alibi. I'll stay under my invisibility cloak and transport you in and out of her room. I'll be there the whole time, but this is your show, and yes, you still have to make a verbal report sometime later."

Lyannara tilted her head and asked, "Why not do it as soon as we're done?"

"Because I want you to mull over what you learn and I want to see how good your memory is. A report given immediately doesn't accomplish that," Harry replied.

He pulled a trunk from his pocket and opened it, pulling out a dark gray and black robe. She put it on and pulled up the hood and asked, "Do I look okay?" She started slightly at the change in her voice, and said, "Well that's strange. I see why you said not to refer to anyone as he or she."

Harry just grinned in reply and threw on his invisibility cloak. She felt him grab her arm and say, "Brace yourself, this is going to be uncomfortable. Don't show it."

* * *

Jasmine was lying in bed, lost in thought. She had been in SI:7 for eleven years, a Stormwind Assassin for six, and in all that time, she hadn't felt completely welcome. She didn't have any really good friends in either organization, and her work kept her away enough that making any friends outside of her job was nearly impossible. The organizations themselves were changing as well, much to her distaste.

SI:7 was too bureaucratic nowadays, too much red tape for any real results, and the Stormwind Assassins were becoming too disorganized with Shaw trying to run it as well as SI:7. Every Assassin had some kind of agenda recently, and the Thumb was the worst. They had fractured, taking sides on how things should be run, and it was becoming more 'who you know' than 'how good you are' for advancement. She had been a Fourth Finger, the lowest rank in the Assassins, for her entire career, even with one of the highest success rates in the organization.

She sighed and rolled onto her side. She had originally joined both organizations to protect innocent people. Sure, Stormwind was her home, but she was of the belief that everyone should be protected. Unfortunately, both organizations were recently more 'Stormwind above all others' than anything else. She knew for a fact that the information she turned in as urgent about the attempt on Tyrande Whisperwind made it to Varian Wrynn and didn't go any further, and she still didn't know why. The king didn't even bother to attempt to pass it on to the Night Elves. She had heard through her contacts that someone had, however, and she had a strong suspicion that it was Harry. She didn't know why she felt like that, but it was an unshakable belief that Harry had gotten the information to Tyrande herself.

"I hear you are looking for me."

Jasmine jumped out of bed and landed in a crouch, ready to defend against an attack. She didn't recognize the voice, then again she couldn't tell anything about the speaker from it. It was an amalgamation of so many different types that the only thing defining about it was the fact that it was undefinable. The figure was leaning against her desk, dressed in a black and dark gray robe with plain black gloves, with a face completely obscured in darkness with the exception of two glowing, smoky gray eyes boring into her soul. "Who are you?" She questioned the figure. "And how did you get in here?"

"I am Guardian, and a representative of _The Unspeakables_," the figure answered. "And as I said before, I heard you were looking for me." Guardian shrugged and continued, "Here I am."

Jasmine narrowed her eyes at Guardian and asked, "And where did you hear that I was looking for you?"

Guardian chuckled and replied, "_The Unspeakables_ have ears in many places." Guardian straightened and asked, "I hear SI:7 is interested in some kind of alliance. Why should we agree to such a thing?"

"SI:7 is only interested in an alliance if you don't intend to harm the people of Stormwind," Jasmine retorted.

"Only Stormwind?" Guardian questioned. "I would think that such an organization would be for the protection of _all_ innocents, not just the ones of a single affiliation," Guardian said.

Jasmine narrowed her eyes and stated hotly, "SI:7 will protect any innocent!"

Guardian was silent for a moment before whispering, "Are you so sure? Can you personally guarantee that? Or is it just wishful thinking?"

Jasmine froze momentarily before looking away and whispering, "No. I can't guarantee it."

"I thought so," Guardian snorted. "For what it's worth, we don't intend to harm any innocents in any city. But if we catch wind of a something, even inside Stormwind, we will act, with or without SI:7's permission or approval." Guardian's eyes narrowed as he or she added, "We exist to do the things no one else wants to do, the dirty jobs that must be done. We live in the gray areas between black and white." Guardian shrugged and continued, "We deal with criminals and malcontents, we let the small fish go to catch the big sharks. A petty thief is not our concern, that's what city guards are for. We want the man that gets a cut of everything stolen and has his fingers in every pie that isn't his own."

"Why is that?" Jasmine questioned. "If you can catch a thief, why let him go?"

"Because the thief will lead us higher up the chain. In the grand scheme of things, a loaf of stolen bread is not worth much." Guardian shrugged again and added, "Our organization is small compared to others. We can not afford to become a secret police force."

Jasmine sighed and nodded at the logic. "So is an alliance between SI:7 and _The Unspeakables_ possible?"

"That depends on the nature of the alliance," Guardian shrugged in response.

"An exchange of information and intelligence, occasionally working together on jobs, things of that nature," Jasmine responded.

Guardian looked at Jasmine for a moment before asking, "Will the intelligence and information be used? Or will it sit and gather dust? And as for working together, that depends on the job. As I said earlier, we don't worry about small fish, and we might have a different idea about how things should be handled, enough that it could cause unnecessary friction. Either way, it's not a decision I can make, I need to take it to my boss."

Jasmine was silent in thought. Eventually she said, "If an alliance isn't possible, then a truce would be sufficient. Basically just staying out of each other's way and trying not to interfere with each other."

Guardian nodded and replied, "That, at least, is most likely. We have no quarrel with SI:7, just a difference of opinion. But it's still my Boss' decision."

"Who is your boss?" Jasmine asked quizzically.

"My boss goes by Watcher," Guardian replied. "Watcher leads the organization, and I am Watcher's second in command."

Jasmine's eyes widened a bit at that. She was expecting to deal with a mid-level member at best, not the organization's second in command. "The second in command is spying on a new organization? Seems a waste."

Guardian shrugged in response and said, "Watcher wanted one of the organization's best on this assignment. I was asked personally to take it, and it's only a waste if I let it _become_ one." Guardian stood and continued, "I'll leave you with a parting gift of information, what you do with it is up to you. Watcher knows you are unhappy with SI:7 and being a Stormwind Assassin. You are currently being observed and evaluated for acceptance into our ranks." Guardian's eyes narrowed, "We place the utmost value on our secrecy. Telling anyone will result in your chance disappearing before it is even offered." Jasmine could almost _hear_ the grin as Guardian finished with, "I'll be seeing you."

With that, Guardian simply disappeared, leaving Jasmine alone and massively confused about what she was going to do and what she wanted her future to be.

* * *

**Character List:**

Harry – Human? - Wizard from Earth, now on Azeroth, leader of _The Worldwalkers_, and Master of Death. Recently started a shadow organization, _The Unspeakables_, to handle the things he can't officially do. Unspeakable codename is 'Watcher'.

Arko'narin Ravenstar – Night Elf – Warrior - Student under Jessir Moonbow and just barely over one century old.

Jessir Moonbow – Night Elf – Hunter – Arko'narin's mentor, and just over one thousand years old.

Meridia Moonblade – Night Elf – Former Sentinel, now works for Harry after she was dismissed from service and stripped of her rank. Very good with numbers and research.

Alurmi – Bronze Whelp/High Elf – Formerly the Quartermaster for the Keepers of Time. Sent by Nozdormu to spy on Harry, and kill him if necessary.

Paladin Kriinos – Draenei – Paladin – Sent by Prophet Velen to assist Harry in his quest against the Burning Legion. Brother to Priestess Karinaa.

Priestess Karinaa – Draenei – Priestess – Sent by Prophet Velen to assist Harry. Sister to Paladin Kriinos.

Jaina Proudmoore – Human – Mage – Member of the Kirin Tor. Sent by Kalecgos to investigate Harry and find out what kind of person he is. Friend and former mentor of Lyannara.

Lyannara Spellweaver – Human – Warlock – Former mage and former member of the Kirin Tor. Second in command of _The Unspeakables_. Codenamed 'Guardian'.

Jasmine Nightshade – Human – Rogue – Member of SI:7 and Stormwind Assassins sent by Mathias as an attachment to _The Worldwalkers._

Garrim Thunderaxe – Dwarf – Warrior – Partner of Hagin Geargrinder.

Hagin Geargrinder – Gnome – Mage – Engineer and partner of Garrim Thunderaxe. Rather eccentric and doesn't like it when goblins call themselves engineers.


	12. Murders and Waterslides

**Disclaimer:**

I don't own anything related to the rights of Harry Potter or Warcraft.

**Author's Note:**

Apologies for the lateness of this chapter. Birthday came around and I got some new toys and time slipped away from me. I'll do my best to not let it happen again, but I'm also in the process of moving, so that takes up quite a bit of time as well. As a side note, I'm thinking that if Harry ever leaves Azeroth behind, I know where I'm going to take him.

No Beta, so all mistakes are my own.

**(Aug. 20th, 2013)** - Reworked and tweaked.

**Publish Date:** Apr. 11th, 2013

**Update Date:** Aug. 20th, 2013

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

Murders and Waterslides

Westfall was a broken, barren land, full of yellowed grass, fallow fields that hadn't seen crops in years, swarming with vultures and other carrion birds, coyotes, gnolls, wild boars, and those damn annoying murlocs infesting the shorelines. The Defias Brotherhood, a band of thieves, assassins, pirates, and vicious mercenaries, once controlled almost all of the region, allowing them to run their smuggling operations and other deeds with little to no interference. Luckily, they were disbanded, so the region was marginally safer now than it was five or six years ago.

From what Harry had been told, the Defias Brotherhood had been one of the largest threats to Stormwind, having operations that stretched from Redridge Mountains all the way to Westfall, into Duskwood and as far south as Booty Bay. Considering the location of _The Worldwalkers_ future base was in such close proximity, Harry was glad that particular problem had already been dealt with.

Shortly after entering Westfall, the group came across a man who looked to be investigating a murder. As they passed by, Harry overheard the man speaking to his subordinate.

"So what have we got?" the man asked as he took off his sunglasses.

The subordinate shook his head and replied sadly, "It's a bloodbath, Lieutenant Laine. Someone murdered the Furlbrow family, even the horse. Damn shame what they did to Old Blanchy."

"No kidding rookie," the lieutenant said. "Looks like they really put the cart..." Laine paused and put on his sunglasses before he finished, "...before the horse."

Harry developed a tic just above his eyebrow.

He hopped of the wagon while it was still rolling along, surprising Lyannara and forcing her to pull off to the side and stop. She jumped down to keep a lookout and eavesdrop on Harry, who was walking briskly over to the investigators. She rapped on the door to the wagon and Jasmine opened it, looking out curiously. "Why did we stop?"

Lyannara nodded in the direction Harry went and said, "Get some of the others out to keep an eye on things. And if anyone wants to stretch their legs, now would be a good time. I get the feeling we're about to start something major here."

Jasmine looked over and spotted Harry, and then the Lieutenant. She frowned and muttered, "Damn it." She looked at Lyannara and added, "That's Horatio Laine, one of Stormwind's stupidest investigators. He gets others to do the work for him and then he takes the credit. I've dealt with him before. I'll go over and see what's up, because I doubt Laine will care if he royally pisses Harry off."

Lyannara sighed and nodded in agreement. "Then I'll get the group out for a bit." She headed inside while Jasmine caught up to Harry as he was speaking.

Harry stopped next to the two men and said, "I couldn't help but overhear, you said they were the Furlbrow family?"

Lieutenant Laine narrowed his eyes behind his sunglasses and replied, "That's right. Why are you asking?"

"I recently did some work for Marshal Dughan at Westbrook Garrison. I found the deed to the Furlbrow's farm near a dead thief," Harry replied.

"Oh really? Or did you simply return to the scene of the crime to _appear_ innocent, murderer?" Horatio sneered.

Jasmine frowned and retorted, "I'd be careful who you accuse, Laine." She grabbed Harry's shoulder and squeezed lightly, trying to get him to calm down a bit.

Unfortunately, Lieutenant Horatio Laine proved beyond a doubt that he was as stupid as he looked when he spoke, "Oh look, it's the failure of SI:7." He snorted and continued, "You know Shaw only keeps you around for your skill on your bac-"

Harry felt Jasmine flinch and he snapped a sleeping spell off at the subordinate with his wand in his left hand and snapped his right out into Horatio's solar plexus, causing cheers to erupt from the crowd of homeless people. He hadn't been this kind of angry since Malfoy had called Hermione a mudblood. "Jasmine, head back to the wagon and go inside. Tell everyone to follow you. Laine and I need to have words," Harry said with utter calmness, scaring Jasmine slightly.

"I can't let you hurt him Harry. I can let that one go because I can say I did it and that he deserved it, but I can't let it go any further," Jasmine said softly.

Harry shook his head and replied, "Just having words, Jasmine." He turned to her and added, "And I'll need to talk to you later, as well." Jasmine looked at him for a long moment before nodding. She turned around and walked back toward the group, who were staring unabashedly at the events. A few words later and they all headed into the wagon, a few of them lingering for a few seconds to look back. As soon as Harry was sure the group was back inside, Harry erected several privacy wards around him and the still wheezing Lieutenant Horatio Laine. He looked down at the breathless man and said, "Time for the two of us to have a reckoning, Laine. I don't think you're going to like it much, though."

* * *

Jasmine was pacing near the door, chewing on her lip and glancing over every few seconds, waiting impatiently for Harry to come back. Lyannara sighed and said, "He told you he was just going to talk. Do you not trust him?"

"Of course I do!" Jasmine snapped. "Doesn't stop me from worrying that Laine is going to push him too far, though."

Arko'narin rolled her eyes. "Harry has far more discipline than you think. He'll just talk." Arko'narin thought for a second before adding, "And maybe threaten. Possibly. Okay, probably, but still, pacing isn't going to help and you're going to wear a hole in the floor if you keep pacing in the same exact spot."

Jasmine stopped, glared at Arko'narin, and took a single deliberate step to the side before beginning her pacing again. Arko'narin huffed and threw her hands up in exasperation and said, "I give up."

Lyannara snickered and replied, "You kind of asked for that response, Arko. The way you worded that could have used some work."

The night Elf glared lightly at the grinning warlock and said, "Then you try and get her to stop pacing."

Lyannara grinned wider and turned to the pacing rogue. "So how did you like sitting in Harry's lap? Comfortable?" Lyannara asked innocently.

Jasmine stumbled to a stop and blushed furiously. "I was drugged," she mumbled. "Not my fault."

Lyannara grinned wider and said, "I notice you didn't deny the fact that it was comfortable."

Jasmine opened her mouth to speak, hesitated, closed it, tried to speak again, and then gave up with a sigh. Anything she said at this point would simply dig the hole she found herself in even deeper than it was already.

Alurmi, however, had no such reservations. She piped in and said brightly, "Of course it's comfortable. Why do you think I spend so much time there?"

Jessir decided to add her two cents and said to Arko'narin, "I told you that you should have sat there, Arko. Apparently it's as comfortable as it looks."

Arko'narin put her face in her hands and just shook her head, not deigning to respond to Jessir's teasing.

Lyannara looked around at everyone, cackled and said, "I think Jaina, Karinaa and Jessir are the only ones who haven't thought about it."

Jaina arched an eyebrow at Lyannara, Karinaa blushed brightly, and Jessir just shrugged and said, "I'm only a thousand years old and still well within my prime. Of course I've _thought_ about it. Doesn't mean I'm going to try it though. He's not really my type."

"Mine either," Arko'narin added.

"Why not?" Alurmi asked curiously. "He's rather cute, kind, funny. What's not to like?"

Jessir nodded in agreement. "All true, but he's still not my type. For starters, he doesn't have any of these," she replied as she hefted her bust.

Hagin, Garrim, and Kriinos, who had been sitting off at the table having their own conversation, decided this would be the best time to beat a hasty retreat. The stood from their seats and calmly walked towards Garrim's room, seeing as he brought Dwarven whiskey and the three of them wanted this particular conversation burned from their brains for the rest of their lives.

Alurmi goggled at Jessir in surprise and Lyannara started laughing madly, nearly falling off her seat. "Well there's one less competing for him," Lyannara snorted.

"Two," Arko'narin corrected. "I can't really see him as more than a good friend." She shrugged and continued, "Maybe even a best friend one day, but not likely a romantic interest." Jessir turned to look at Arko'narin curiously, not really buying that statement.

"Three, actually," Jaina added. "While logically I know he's older than me, I still can't look at him without seeing someone nearly half my age."

"Probably four," Lyannara added quietly. "I don't think I could put him through that."

Arko'narin looked at her curiously and asked, "What do you mean?"

Lyannara smiled sadly and replied, "Where will I be in one hundred years?"

"Dead," Arko'narin said flatly. She shook her head and continued, "Humans don't have a lifespan that long."

"And where will Harry be?" Lyannara sighed.

It took a moment, but Arko'narin's eyes widened in realization and she muttered, "Oh. Oh wow. That's..." She trailed off, unable to find anything to say.

Lyannara nodded and replied softly, "Exactly."

Karinaa and Jasmine frowned in confusion. "I don't get it. Wouldn't Harry be the same? He is Human as well," Karinaa said.

Meridia shook her head and stated, "He _used_ to be Human. Now..." She frowned in thought and continued, "I'm not sure _what_ he would be classified as." She shrugged and added, "He'll likely outlive everyone here."

"He will," Arko'narin stated resolutely. "I've seen him die more than once and simply come back from it no worse for wear." She frowned and stated, "It's still rather jarring to witness, however."

Karinaa blinked and said, "Well that's interesting to know."

Lyannara tilted her head to the side and asked, "Why is that?"

Karinaa blushed and said softly, "I always believed any meaningful long-term relationship would be limited to my own people or maybe a Night or High Elf for me. I don't think that a Draenei has ever died of old age. Prophet Velen, for example, is more than twenty-five thousand years old."

"Arko'narin whistled lowly and said, "I can see why he would be an attractive option for you."

Karinaa blushed brightly and muttered, "You have _no_ idea."

There was a moment of silence, everyone thinking different things. Harry, who had slipped in unnoticed by all, broke it and said, "Well, if we're all done discussing me, gear up. We have work to do," surprising everyone with his presence.

"How long have you been there?" Jasmine asked cautiously.

Harry snorted. "Long enough to know why I'm not Jessir's type." He motioned everyone off with his hand, saying, "Now go gear up, we're wasting time and there's a murderer out there."

As soon as everyone was ready and gathered around the table, Harry spoke. "Alright, first off, just how drunk are you three?"

Garrim shrugged and said, "I'm fine, 'ese two cannae 'old their whiskey, 'owever."

Hagin's face was bright red and he stated, "I'm functional. At least I will be when the wagon decides to stop its wild rotational drift."

Kriinos mumbled, "I tried to out-drink a dwarf. I really thought I could." Garrim just grinned widely in response as Kriinos continued, "I still can't believe someone one-fifth my size can drink three times as much as me and still hit three consecutive bulls-eyes from across the room."

Karinaa snorted and stated, "That just proves you were stupid _before_ you started drinking."

Harry shook his head. "Alright then. Hagin and Kriinos are going to sit this one out for now and recover."

"Couldn't you give them something for it like you did with me?" Jasmine asked curiously, causing the two to look up in hope.

Harry shook his head again and answered, "My supplies are finite. I gave that to you because you had an accident. These two were just being stupid. They get to deal with it the old-fashioned way," causing the two drunk members to groan at the future hangover they were going to have.

Karinaa nodded and said, "Thank you, Harry." She frowned and continued, "While I don't mind him getting completely drunk in the evening in a city, in the middle of the day in what can be loosely called hostile territory is too far." Karinaa turned to her brother and added pointedly, "What kind of example are you setting for your little sister?"

Kriinos glared weakly at her and replied flatly, "What not to do. You shouldn't be drinking anyway, I know what you're like when you do."

Karinaa glared back at him. Without turning away, she asked, "Harry, would you like to have a few drinks with me someday soon?"

Before Harry could answer, Kriinos said to his sister, "Don't you dare." He turned to Harry and continued, "You have no idea what she'll do to you. One moment you'll be talking, the next you'll be standing naked in the middle of the Vault of Lights singing at the top of your lungs, Karinaa cackling at you and no idea what chain of events led to such an idea sounding good."

Karinaa turned to Harry and grinned lecherously. "He very well might be naked by the end of the night, but not doing what you were."

Harry gulped. He was used to fangirls chasing him for his money and his fame, he could handle that, but this was a world where only three people knew how much money he had, and he wasn't famous. He had no idea how to deal with someone practically throwing themselves at him simply because they thought he was attractive. He decided to change the subject to something safer. Like chasing a murderer. Yeah, much safer.

"Anyway, we have two leads. The Riverpaw Gnolls and the Murlocs just north of here. We're going to split up and investigate both and meet back here." Harry looked around and continued, "Since Meridia and Alurmi are currently noncombatants, they'll be staying behind as well. Jaina, Garrim, and Jasmine will be staying with the wagon and horses. I don't want anyone coming along and robbing us while we're out. Arko'narin, Jessir, and Lyannara are going to go investigate the Murlocs, while Karinaa and I are going to investigate the gnolls. There may be some switching around later, but these are going to be our basic groups for a while."

As soon as he finished speaking, he realized what he had done. He had split up the group into rather effective units, but he had also left himself alone with Karinaa. And judging from the grin on her face, she noticed it as well.

"Who's in charge of the second group," Arko'narin asked.

Harry thought for a moment and replied, "Jessir is. If things go wrong, she's has the best chance of getting all of you out with minimal injuries." He turned to Lyannara and said, "Sorry, but you're too used to working alone, and that's not a good mindset for a group effort. You need to get used to being a part of a group before I put you in a lead capacity, and Jessir is a good person to learn that from."

Lyannara turned to him and nodded, knowing he didn't mean any offense. He had a point. She grinned wickedly and said, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Harry snorted and said, "Let's get to work."

* * *

Jessir, Arko'narin, and Lyannara crouched down behind a fallen log and spied on the small murloc community at the shoreline. There weren't many of them, but there were enough to be a bit of a bother.

"So how are we going to do this?" Arko'narin asked quietly. "It's not like we can just walk up and ask them about the murder."

"Lyannara piped in and asked, "How long would it take you and Arko'narin to search their little community if they weren't there?"

Jessir looked over and said, "One minute to get there, five to search, two to get far enough away that we wouldn't be discovered." She narrowed her eyes and asked, "Why?"

Lyannara just nodded absently and looked down the beach away from the community. After a moment she turned to Jessir and answered, "I can draw them over that dune there and they won't be able to see what you're doing. I can buy you ten minutes, twelve at most."

"Are you sure you can handle them alone?" Jessir asked seriously.

Lyannara snorted in reply and responded, "Easily. A distraction is more difficult than outright killing them though. A few will still die, but I'll avoid it if at all possible. I get the feeling Harry wouldn't be happy with me at all if I just wiped them out."

"He didn't seem to have any problem wiping out a band of gnolls in Elwynn," Arko'narin replied.

Lyannara narrowed her eyes and said harshly, "He also had proof that those gnolls were terrorizing and killing innocent people. We have no such proof about these murlocs. As far as we know, they've done nothing to warrant such a slaughter."

"Do it," Jessir said. "Try not to kill too many though. None if you can."

Lyannara nodded and moved into position. She took a deep breath and began muttering under her breath. A bolt of shadowy magic shot from her fingertips, striking a murloc in the side and sending him screeching to the ground. The noise caught the attention of the others, who turned to Lyannara and snarled. She fired another shadowbolt at a different murloc and ran back towards the dune, casting behind her as she went. As soon as the last murloc was over the dune and out of sight, the two Night Elves moved quickly to the small community and began their search.

* * *

Harry and Karinaa watched the group of gnolls move around their camp from the tree line near the riverbank. Apparently, Karinaa knew when to be professional and when not to be. She had been joking with him all the way up to where they were, but once they started working, she was deadly serious.

"These gnolls belong to the same band we took care of in Elwynn, don't they?" Harry asked quietly.

Karinaa nodded and replied, "They do. What do you want to do about this? I doubt we can just walk up and ask politely if they know who murdered the Furlbrows. They're more likely to kill you."

Harry snorted. "And they won't kill you?"

Karinaa didn't answer. After a moment she said softly, "Not immediately. I'm female."

Harry snarled and snapped out, "_That_ won't fucking happen. Full stop."

Karinaa looked at him in surprise. She wasn't surprised that he would defend her, if was the level of utter viciousness in his voice when he said it. "I'm sorry, Harry." She laid her hand on his shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. "I didn't mean to anger you."

He shook his head in reply and said, "It's not just that. I was already on edge after my conversation with Laine." Harry took a deep breath and bolstered his mental shields. "I get the feeling that we may have to kill the gnolls in order to find anything useful. They aren't exactly the best conversationalists, and my usual skills would leave me too disoriented to make sense of anything." He turned to the priestess and continued, "I hope you don't mind bloodshed, most of my spells are quick, but quite messy."

"While I am a proficient healer, it isn't where my real skill lies." Karinaa grinned viciously and said, "My real talent lies in shadow magic, and it is actually more violent than most think."

Harry grinned back and replied, "Then let's get to work."

* * *

Jessir's group made it back to the wagon first, and the only injuries any of them had were a few cuts and bruises on Lyannara that were more annoying then they were harmful. The plan had worked, Lyannara had bought the two Night Elves enough time to do their job, and she managed to get away without much trouble, and only one murloc had died. The three of them were sitting around the table waiting on the others to get back so they could go over what they found. Jasmine, Garrim, and Jaina came in and Jasmine opened the door leading to the driver's area and leaned against the frame so she could keep an eye on the horses and still keep up with what was going on.

"We spotted them on their way back," Jaina said, informing the others. "They should be here shortly." She hesitated for a moment before adding, "They'll likely want to get cleaned up first, though."

Lyannara grinned and asked, "Oh, really now?"

Jaina sighed in exasperation and asked, "Is sex all you think about?"

Lyannara nodded seriously and replied, "Most days. It's been years for me, so yes, it's on my mind quite often."

Jaina just shook her head. "It looks like the gnolls aren't going to be a problem for the residents of this section of Westfall anymore," she said.

Kriinos snorted from his spot lying on a couch. "Putting those two together is a recipe for mass destruction. To be quite honest, the level of bloodshed my little sister can inflict if she really tries is quite terrifying." He snorted and continued, "Hopefully she won't pull him into her plans to take over a small island and turn it into her own personal playground."

Meridia was about to speak when Harry's voice drifted in through the open doorway that Jasmine was leaning in.

"No, you can not build an emerald waterslide that spirals around Karazhan from top to bottom and into a heated pool made out of a single diamond. Diamonds and emeralds that big _don't exist_."

"I notice your only real objection is the fact that the materials _don't exist_. You're telling me your magic can't pull that little thing off?"

"Don't try and con me into doing it for you, either."

"HA! You didn't deny the fact that it was possible. Please?!"

"No."

The door to the wagon opened and the two came in, splattered with blood. The argument continued with Karinaa asking, "Why not?"

Harry sighed and said, "Because it serves no real purpose. Would you even use the thing?"

"Every day," Karinaa nodded resolutely. "Don't you _want_ to see me in a bikini?"

"I wouldn't mind seeing that," Jessir muttered quietly, making Lyannara snort.

Harry turned and stared at the priestess. "There's _no_ possible way to answer that without getting in trouble with _someone_."

Karinaa pouted. "You'll give in eventually," She said, crossing her arms.

Harry rolled his eyes and turned towards the group. "Give us a minute to get cleaned up a bit and we'll plan out our next move."

About ten minutes later, the group was assembled around the table in the common area. "Alright, so what did you guys find with the murlocs?"

Jessir dropped a damp letter on the table. Some of the ink had been washed away in places, but the overall tone of the note spoke of rebellion. "There were more just like this, but this was the most legible of them. We didn't want to take them all because they might be missed and we didn't want to draw any attention to ourselves."

Harry frowned as he read and reread the letter. He sighed and set it down, reaching in his pocket and pulling out several tattered bits and pieces of red cloth. "Every single gnoll on the overlook had this red cloth on them." He ran his fingers through his hair and continued, "And now that I think about it, the gnolls associated with this clan in Elwynn Forest had the same kind of cloth on them as well."

"Anyone have any ideas as to what's going on?" Lyannara asked. "Because I get the feeling this is far bigger than just a murder, and this letter is prime rebellion material. One murder doesn't make a rebellion. And why the Furlbrows in the first place? There are really only five reasons you kill someone. Pleasure, theft, personal, business, and information," Lyannara started ticking points off on her fingers, thinking out loud. "While it _was_ messy, it wasn't done right for it to be _pleasure_. True, a sick fuck that enjoyed doing it, but they were most likely paid for or ordered to do it, and there were far easier targets around than a couple and a horse by a major road if it _was _done for pleasure. It wasn't theft, because the transients all but admitted to taking their stuff after they died. While it _could_ have been personal, I don't see how the Furlbrows suddenly attracted that kind of attention after five years of squatting on that farm in relative peace. It wasn't business, because someone had already taken nearly everything of value that they owned. They didn't have anything left. That only leaves information. The Furlbrows knew something and someone didn't want that knowledge getting out and around." Lyannara looked around to see everyone staring at her. "What?" Lyannara asked the group. "You all act like I've never done this sort of thing before."

Jaina grinned at the ogling group. "And that's why I let her take care of the investigations that I can't."

"Just because I'm curious, what makes you think it wasn't done for pleasure?" Meridia asked.

Lyannara sighed and answered, "Because people that kill for pleasure... There's always something left behind, a mark, specific positioning of bodies, _something_ that says 'I was here and I did this'. There was nothing like that at the scene of the murder." She shook her head and continued, "And while the wounds were messy ones, they weren't designed to inflict the most pain possible. People who kill for pleasure want their victims to be in agony for as long as possible. The Furlbrows most likely went into shock and bled out pretty quickly."

"That's a rather impressive deduction," Harry said quietly, causing the warlock to blush lightly and smile at the praise. "It's also the most likely scenario we have. It seems we need more information on the Furlbrows, so let's head to their old farm and start there. Maybe we can shake something loose."

* * *

The way to Furlbrow's Pumpkin Farm was rocky, and they had to cut through the field to get to the house and barn up near the cliff. Coyotes and boars roamed around the area, discouraging exploration without good gear and a group to watch your back, something most of the residents of Westfall didn't have. The wagon pulled to a stop near the house and Harry hopped down from the passenger seat, followed by Jasmine, who was taking a turn at the reins.

"So what are we looking for?" Jasmine asked quietly. "Because I think that anything left here has probably been taken or destroyed. Even the things that were nailed down."

Harry looked around and didn't answer. The place was full of homeless Stormwind citizens and residents of Westfall, all crammed in a small house and a barn to keep a roof over as many heads as possible. It was cramped, damp, dirty, and smelled.

It reminded him of his cupboard.

Harry sighed and frowned. "You check out the house, I'll check out the barn. Ask around and see what you can find out. Keep your eyes and ears open for anything that might be useful and be as nice as possible. We'll meet back at the wagon to go over what we've learned, if anything."

Two hours later with no leads at all, Harry was searching for Jasmine. She hadn't been at the wagon since they left to look around the farm, so he went to the last place he knew she had been. He walked up to the house, stepped inside and looked around, not seeing her in the small space at all. He frowned and turned to the nearest person, asking, "Excuse me, there was a woman here, blonde hair, blue eyes, armed and armored. Do you know where she went?"

The man looked at Harry and replied, "Well, I might, but hunger does funny things to a man's memory, makes it hard to think." The man's stomach growled violently and he winced and hunched over a bit. "See what I mean?" he added.

Harry dropped a gold galleon in the man's hand and said, "If this particular memory isn't faulty and leads me to my friend, I'll come back and give you another. If it's a wild goose chase, I'll be rather unhappy."

The man looked down at the gold coin in disbelief, thinking of all the food he could get with it. He looked up at Harry and said, "I doubt my information will lead you to her directly, but she was talking with Two-Shoed Lou over there in the top hat just before she rushed out and off to the west."

Harry nodded and turned away, leaving the man to stash his new coin somewhere that Harry really didn't want to think about. All he knew was that the man's clothes had _no_ pockets. He walked over to the man with the top hat, apparently called Two-Shoed Lou, and said, "You gave some information to my friend, now she's gone." He narrowed his eyes and asked, "Where is she?"

Lou's eyes widened and he held up his hands in defense. "I didn't say nothin' to no one, Honest!" Harry arched an eyebrow and stayed silent, simply staring at the man. It was only a moment before Lou backpedaled and said, "I might have sent her to the back of Jangolode mine to spy on a meeting she wanted to know about! That's all I know, I promise!"

Harry growled and spun on his heel, snapping his wand into his hand on his way out the door. He made his way behind the barn, and after making sure there was no one around to see him, he disappeared with a violent crack.

He reappeared west of the farm, using line of sight apparition to make his way quickly across the plains of Westfall. When he spotted the entrance to the mine, he disillusioned, cast a notice-me-not charm over himself and cast a silencing charm on his feet. He crept through the mine and past the kobolds wandering the tunnels and headed towards the back where Two-Shoed Lou said he sent Jasmine. He found her just as she was about to climb into an old crate to hide and spy on the meeting she had been told about. He decided now wouldn't be the best time to confront her about it, so he settled in near the crate so he could keep an eye on her and waiting to see what this clandestine meeting was all about.

It didn't take long before a giant two-headed thing lumbered into the cavern, shortly followed by a figure that stayed well in the shadows. He couldn't get closer to find out who it was, so he settled in to figure out as much about the person. As soon as the figure spoke, he realized the person was female, and most likely young. He also realized this person was dangerous, recruiting, and building up to something called The Dawning.

Both figures went their separate ways after their meeting, and a few moments later, Jasmine quietly climbed out of the crate and headed out of the mine. Harry followed her the entire way, mentally gearing himself up for a conversation he wished he didn't need to have. He kept behind her until they were about half-way back to the farm and the wagon in a nice place for a private talk. He dropped the charms and tapped Jasmine on the shoulder, startling her and causing her to spin and swing both of her daggers at him.

Harry twisted out of the way and glared at the rogue. She froze when she saw who was behind her and asked, "What?"

Harry's glare intensified and he said flatly, "Where were you?"

Jasmine snorted and sheathed her daggers. "Considering you're all the way out here as well, you know where I was. I do this kind of thing all the time, it's part of my job with SI:7." She shrugged and asked, "What's the big deal?"

Apparently _that_ was _entirely_ the wrong thing to say.

Harry straighted and squared his shoulders, glaring heavily at Jasmine. He stalked towards her like a predator, making Jasmine gulp nervously and take a half-step backwards away from him. Harry growled out, "Let me rephrase my question. Why were you not at the wagon?"

"I got a lead and there wasn't time. I barely made it before the meeting started as it was," Jasmine replied.

Harry scowled and ground out, "_Never_ go off by yourself without at least informing someone. Definitely not in a place I'd consider hostile. This isn't SI:7, and if you can't get that through your head then you can bloody well go back to them."

Jasmine flinched and looked down. After a moment she whispered, "I can't."

Harry cocked his head to the side in confusion. "Why not?"

"Shaw did send one of his best on this attachment assignment, but it also got me out of his way," she said softly. "The last few years haven't been all that good to me there, and Shaw didn't want the headache of keeping me around when he could send me off on an extended assignment away from Stormwind and SI:7." Jasmine sighed and continued, "If I go back, I'll be... retired."

"Retired?" Harry questioned. "That doesn't sound pleasant."

Jasmine looked away and replied, "It's not. I'll either be kept behind a desk until I die of old age, or be publicly humiliated, dishonorably discharged from service, and either be completely blacklisted to everyone or have an 'accident' and fall into the canal, which is actually more likely."

There was a moment of silence before Harry said flatly, "Excuse me?"

Jasmine shrugged and said quietly, "I doubt I'll be worth the effort to engage in a public smear campaign. I'll probably just disappear or be found floating face-down in the water." She looked up at Harry's audible snarl and took a step back in surprise and no small amount of fear. His face had started twisting, his nose and mouth elongating slightly and his skin was starting to become covered in small, black scales. His eyes were the most drastic change, though. They were no longer the vibrant green they had been a few minutes ago, now they were a bright yellow with slitted pupils.

Apparently her reaction caused his mind to clear a bit. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths, slowly calming himself and returning to normal. After a moment he sighed and said, "I'm sorry about that. I've recently undergone some things and I don't have full control over the change quite yet. It only happens when I'm particularly stressed or angered, however." He stopped and thought for a moment before adding, "But if you do see me unwillingly change, get everyone and run."

Jasmine's hands had dropped down to the hilts of her daggers and she took another step backwards. "Y-You're one of the Black Dragonflight," she stuttered out.

Harry snorted and replied, "Hardly. I keep plenty of secrets, but I can guarantee that isn't one of them."

"But you had black scales," Jasmine retorted, tightening her grip on her daggers.

Harry arched an eyebrow. "And dragons are the only creatures allowed to have scales?"

"They're the only ones that can look human," Jasmine replied quickly.

Harry's eyebrow went up further. "Are you so sure about that?"

Jasmine hesitated. She _wasn't_ absolutely sure about that, but it was a rather logical conclusion to make given what evidence she had. "Then what are you?" she asked cautiously.

"There's a rather special skill where I'm from, the ability to change into a specific animal. It's called an animagus form, and it's usually tied into what kind of person you are, and it doesn't change from the moment you figure out what you are. Mine used to be a wolf..." Harry trailed off and shrugged before continuing, "But as I said, I've recently gone through some changes and the animal isn't fully under my control yet. It will be soon, though." He sighed and added, "I'd appreciate it if you kept this to yourself for now, however."

Jasmine narrowed her eyes and studied him for a long moment. Finally she relaxed and nodded, dropping her hands to her side. "I guess I can do that."

Harry grinned at her and said, "Thanks. Oh, and I'd also recommend not saying I'm a member of the Black Dragonflight. I know a woman who will get rather angry at such a notion, and even I wouldn't want to do that. Her anger has been known to be the stuff of legend."

* * *

"So that's where we stand," Harry said, finishing up his part of the meeting. He made sure he went before Jasmine, and if she was surprised by his slight alteration of the story, she hid it quite well. All he really added was a small fib, saying that they had met up just after she talked with Two-Shoed Lou and decided that Harry would follow along after she left to see who, if anyone, took an interest in her leaving off alone after asking around about the Furlbrow's murder.

"Well, we don't have much to go on," Lyannara said. "But I think I have a damn good guess."

"Me too," Jasmine added. "But it doesn't make any sense. Why now? And who has enough clout to actually look like they could pull off reforming the Defias?"

Harry spoke up. "Maybe the woman needed the time for something, but five years is a long time." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "A person can do _a lot_ in five years." After a moment of silence, Harry said, "It's getting late. Let's get some sleep and get back to it in the morning. We're going to backtrack a bit and head to Sentinel Hill tomorrow."

Karinaa frowned. "We're just leaving? Are we dropping this case?"

Harry shook his head and replied, "No, not at all. I just have the feeling that we need to head in that direction." He shrugged and added, "I have no idea why though."

Suddenly, there was a loud crack outside, quickly followed by another. Harry and Jasmine ran out to see what was going on while the others geared up to find Two-Shoed Lou lying dead on the ground, with his shoes on his head of all things. Harry looked around and quickly spotted three of the transients squatting on the farm staring wide-eyed at the sight. He frowned and asked, "What happened here?"

"I... I didn't see nothin'!" one of the transients stuttered out. "He... He died of natural causes!"

Jasmine arched an eyebrow and replied, "Natural causes?" She snorted and continued, "Two bullets in the chest and his _shoes_ are on his _head_. What kind of natural death would that be?"

"He pissed off the wrong people, so they _naturally_ killed him," Harry deadpanned. He sighed and stood, looking around again. The man that had given him the information earlier that day caught his eye and slid around the side of the house. Harry turned to Jasmine and said, "I'm going to take a look around and see what I can find. Stick around here and do the same." He looked at her pointedly and added, "No wandering off." Jasmine winced a bit and nodded. Harry turned and meandered over to where the man had disappeared to, doing his best to make it look like he was just looking around and not meeting someone. Given his training, his best was pretty damn good.

"I see you caught up with your friend," the man said. "Thanks for the coin, by the way. It'll buy enough food for everyone here to have a few good meals." The man shook his head sadly and continued, "Lou was a good guy. Sure he couldn't keep a secret for anything, but he never did anything to anybody."

"What did you see?" Harry asked quietly.

The man shook his head and replied, "Nothing much. Heard the crack and came outside, but I didn't see anyone running away or looking suspicious. There are things you need to know, though. I've never told anyone this, wanted to leave it all behind me, but I'm not stupid, and I see and hear a lot more than most think." He sighed and said, "The Brotherhood was never supposed to be like this. All we wanted was to be paid for the damn fine work we did, but things spiraled so far out of control. We didn't find out until later that we were all being manipulated, but by then, the nobles had too much pride to back down and Edwin was too stubborn to stop."

Harry blinked and then asked, "You were a member of the Defias Brotherhood?"

The man nodded and said, "Back when we first started, yeah. Got out with a partner of mine a few years before everything went to hell and VanCleef got himself killed." The man chuckled humorlessly and continued his story. "Edwin put me in charge of the operations in Elwynn Forest. After a while the orders he was giving were getting more and more violent, me and Cale were starting to question just what we were doing. Erlan though... He didn't care. He loved it. He ruined so many lives just because he could, it was all I could do to keep him on a leash. Things finally came to a head one day, Stormwind put a bounty out on us, dead. A warlock took the job, seeing as her instructor had a bit of an issue with Cale and she was headed out to us anyway. That warlock..." The man trailed off, lost in thought. "She was a force to be reckoned with. Vicious and brutal when attacked, but she was still a good person. Apparently she was a pretty good spy as well, she overheard me and Cale talking about getting out of the Brotherhood and why. She let us go after we handed over a few identifying items that no one would believe we would part with. A ring from me, a gift from Edwin from way back when I first joined the Stonemason's Guild, and a choker from Cale. After that, we split. Everyone thought we were dead, and we wanted to keep it that way. I became Barley H. Crown and Cale became Mama Celeste."

Harry tilted his head and asked, "Why are you telling me all this?"

Barley sighed and replied, "Because me and Cale were talking after you left. You're doing something good, bigger than just solving a murder, we can tell." He ran his fingers through his hair and continued, "And we're tired of sitting back and watching these kinds of things happen and nothing getting done about it. Stormwind doesn't care about us out here in Westfall. What these people need is someone to look out for them, and you seem capable of it."

Harry narrowed his eyes. "That sounds a lot like rebellion. I can't afford to go to war with an entire city."

Barley shook his head and said, "Not at all. I've seen what that particular path looks like. It's messy and bloody and I want no part in _that_ kind of thing anymore. But you can be an advocate for the people of Westfall in Stormwind. The people here that have enough clout to do it are outlaws and the others will simply be ignored. They need someone to be their voice, someone who won't back down and will fight for them, no matter what."

Harry sighed and thought. After a moment he said slowly, "My organization is just starting, I don't quite have the influence to get that kind of thing done. But my group's basic cause is the betterment of all of Azeroth."

"Even the Horde?" Barley questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Harry nodded and responded, "Even the Horde."

Barley stared intently at Harry for a long moment before finally replying, "That's a tall order. You've got quite the task ahead of you if that's the path you're set on." He nodded in respect and thought to himself for a long moment and said, "For that, you'll need quite a bit of help. I may not have used a dagger in a fight in a number of years, but that doesn't mean I didn't keep up on my training, and I used to be a Stonemason. I'd like to join you, and I know Cale will as well. She's slowly losing her mind not being able to use her magic to keep her cover."

Harry looked at him intently and warned him, "You'll both have to be able to get along with the rest of the crew, including any Horde members we pick up. And the two of you will have to submit to a sort of interview before you'll even be allowed in."

Barley shrugged and said, "I figured as much. So we have a shot?"

"Give me some time to brief the others. Get your partner and knock on the door in about an hour. We'll talk more then." With that, Harry shook Barley's hand and headed back to the wagon, trying to figure out how he was going to convince the others that having a couple former criminals was a good idea. He stopped suddenly after a few steps and turned, asking, "What were your names before you changed them?"

Barley smiled and said, "My partner was Surena Caledon, and I was known as Morgan the Collector."

* * *

"You want to do what?" Jasmine asked incredulously after hearing what Harry was planning.

"Did I stutter? I want to give an interview to two former Brotherhood members. I think they could be good assets, and they've kept themselves clean ever since they split," Harry said determinedly. "And I know we could use the information they have about things here in Westfall."

Meridia frowned and said, "So you're just using them?"

Harry shrugged in response and said, "Of course. But I know they're using us as well. For now it's a mutually beneficial partnership. We can revisit their long-term membership later."

"They're criminals," Jasmine said heatedly. "They should be arrested."

Harry sighed in exasperation. "Jasmine, you're really starting to sound like a broken record. If you arrest anyone who had broken a law, not only would you have to build a _far_ bigger prison, you'd have to have me _killed_."

That brought Jasmine up short, and she flinched as if struck. The rest of the group were wearing various expressions of surprise, and Jasmine finally asked, "Why?"

Harry snorted. "Do you have any idea how many laws I've broken in my life? I've stolen, burned, tortured, and killed, and I did it for _twenty years_. There are places where I'm from where I'm _still_ known as 'The Bloody Butcher'."

Apparently, this wasn't received well, but Alurmi looked like it hit her far worse than anyone else. "But... But... _Why_?" she asked, almost brokenly. She really didn't want any of that to be true. She didn't want to lose the image of the kind, sweet, funny man she had come to know.

"Because I was forged into a weapon, and I didn't know how to be anything else," Harry sighed. "I joined a government organization right out of school immediately after I finished fighting a war. They made the most use of my skills that they possibly could."

Suddenly much of what she knew about Harry's early years made sense, why he skipped entire sections of his life at his school, why those once great memories were forever tainted. "Wait," Alurmi said, "You fought a war while you were still in school?"

Harry snorted humorlessly. "Fought? Hell, by the end of it, I was _leading_ it. For an entire year after they gained the upper hand and took over the government, I was the most hunted man since my godfather." Harry sighed and said quietly, "Undesirable Number One." He shook his head and continued, "But that's besides the point. We're doing this."

Jasmine shook her head, "I don't like this at all."

"Noted," Harry replied. "And if it goes to hell on me, then you can be the first in line to say 'I told you so'." Just then, there was a knock on the door of the wagon, and Harry said, "I bet that's them." He walked over and opened the door, letting in the two former Defias members. They both looked around the room, and the moment they spotted Lyannara, they froze.

"We kept ourselves clean, no need to follow through with that threat of yours," Morgan said, his hands unconsciously moving to protect his bits. "I'd like to keep all my parts unroasted, thank you very much."

Lyannara grinned wickedly and responded, "I should hope so. You two have been out here the whole time?"

Morgan nodded and answered, "We started traveling around and doing odd jobs for people, mostly extra hands doing farm work or repairing buildings that were damaged and in no state to use."

"She's the warlock?" Harry asked incredulously. At Morgan's nod, Harry muttered, "Small world."

Morgan snorted in reply and said, "_Too_ small. I would have been perfectly content to _not_ run into the woman that threatened to roast my chestnuts over an open fel flame for the rest of my life."

Surena, who had been looking around the inside of the wagon with wide eyes, asked, "How did you get all this room into a wagon? I can tell it's magic, I can feel it, but this is unlike any spell I've ever heard of."

Karinaa spoke up and replied, "It's all thanks to our leader, here," pointing at Harry. "He's going to build me a waterslide next," she added with a grin.

"Not happening," Harry responded quickly.

Karinaa huffed and crossed her arms. You'll give in eventually. I know you want to see me in a bikini."

Harry turned to her and replied, "You know I could just turn your clothes into one whenever the whim strikes me? I could also just vanish them altogether."

Karinaa pouted at him and said, "So you don't want to see me in a bikini? Am I that ugly to you?"

"So how about that interview?" Morgan asked quickly, seeing where this was going and trying to save the poor guy.

"Not yet, I want to see how he gets himself out of this particular hole," Lyannara cackled.

Harry arched an eyebrow at Lyannara before turning to Karinaa and replying, "We can talk about that later, for now we do have work to do."

Karinaa just pouted at him and crossed her arms.

After everyone settled at the table and introductions were made, Harry started the interview and began using his passive _legilimency_ to detect any lies that might be told. "So why exactly do you want to join this group?"

Surena and Morgan looked at each other for a second before Surena spoke. "We're tired of seeing everything going on around here and not really being able to make a difference. We can't do much of anything alone around here other than small things that just keep things from deteriorating, nothing that will improve things."

Morgan added, "That's why I stayed with Edwin when he started the Brotherhood instead of striking out on my own." At Jasmine's snort, Morgan turned and glared at her. "You weren't _there_ little girl. I went with Edwin after we _finished_ rebuilding your precious city so we could get paid for our work. Most of us were so far in debt by the end of that project, all we wanted was to get what we earned so we might be able to break even. Instead we were admonished for not doing all that work out of the goodness of our hearts and your nobles refused to pay us a single copper. What made it worse was while we were rebuilding Stormwind, those same nobles were taxing the hell out of everything we needed to do our work. Stone, mortar, tools, wood, all of it had a higher tax on it than anything else in the entire city. In fact, it was the highest tax rate the city had seen since it's founding. And when we protested, they sent the guards to start harassing us and destroying our homes and possessions. Some of those families were killed because they didn't want to leave their property, and I do mean the entire families; husbands, wives, and _children_. So get the hell off your high horse and quit thinking you know what happened long before the best part of you dripped down your mother's leg."

Jasmine jumped to her feet and started to draw her dagger, quickly followed by Morgan copying the action, when Harry froze them both with a yell.

"HOLD IT!" Both rogues jerked to a stop and turned to Harry. He turned to Jasmine and said, "Sit down, Jasmine."

"But-"

"Now," Harry interrupted her. She hesitated for a split second before dropping heavily into her chair and glaring heatedly at Morgan. The older rogue opened his mouth to say something but Harry cut him off as well. "And you will keep those kind of opinions to yourself. I don't let insults against one of mine slide, full stop. So you _will_ keep a civil tongue in your head or I will _cut it out_. Understand?"

Morgan nodded once and sat back down. "I apologize for my temper," He said stiffly to Jasmine. "But I meant what I said before that. Don't go thinking you know what happened before you were born. You only heard Stormwind's side of the story, and they would naturally gloss over the bad things they did." Jasmine nodded hesitantly and Morgan continued. "Hell, I bet even the Burning Legion thinks they're doing the right thing in cleansing Azeroth of things that don't belong there." Before anyone could say anything, Morgan held up his hands and said, "Not saying I agree, but it's important to remember that both sides in a fight have a different view of the same story." He sighed and dropped his hands to the table. "Anyway, we wanted to make a difference then, and we still do now, and you're the first person we've met that we think has a real shot at changing all of Azeroth for the better."

Harry nodded and continued the interview. "We've already recruited a few members of the Horde. Is that going to be a problem for you two?"

Surena chuckled and said, "Not really, no. By the time we got out of the Brotherhood, we were dealing with goblins, ogres, even a few forsaken. As long as they don't start anything with us, we'll be fine with them."

"Good," Harry nodded. "Next question..."

As the interview continued, everyone asked the two former Defias members questions. Things ranging from serious to mundane to rather outlandish situations that made Harry question the sanity of some of his members. Finally, after the last question had been asked, Harry sighed and said, "Well, I think we can agree to bringing you two along with us, at least for a while, and see how you get along with everyone on a more long-term basis."

They both smiled and Surena sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair, causing black streaks to appear in the gray strands. Harry tilted his head in confusion and asked, "Is your hair dyed gray?"

Surena started and pulled some of her hair around to the front of her face to look at it. She sighed and said, "Yes, it is. I go out and gather supplies to make the dye about once a week. It's about time for me to do that again. I decided when we left Elwynn Forest to change how I looked." She grinned and said, "You'd be surprised what you can do with a bit of putty and some dye."

Harry snorted and replied, "Remind me to tell you about some of my stealth and tracking classes at the academy. Suffice it to say, by the end of that course, I could apply makeup better than most of the females I knew." He leaned back in his chair and asked the group, "So any ideas on what to do next? With Lou dead, we lost quite a bit in the information department."

"Should talk to the Saldean's. They've been here in Westfall for ages, and they get people coming and going all the time. They're bound to hear something," Morgan said. "Other than that, Sentinel Hill has the largest concentration of homeless people in Westfall, and most will tell you what you want to know for a bit of coin or some food."

"Which is closer?" Harry asked curiously.

"Saldean's farm is just a bit south of here, on the other side of the road," Surena said. "Sentinel Hill is a bit further south from there, maybe half a day's walk."

Harry nodded and said, "Then we'll go talk to the Saldean's first, then head to Sentinel Hill if it's necissary." With that, Jessir took first watch outside while the rest went to bed, Surena bunking with Lyannara and Morgan staying with Garrim until Harry could make a couple more rooms for the two.

* * *

**Character List:**

Harry – Human? - Wizard from Earth, now on Azeroth, leader of _The Worldwalkers_, and Master of Death. Recently started a shadow organization, _The Unspeakables_, to handle the things he can't officially do. Unspeakable codename is 'Watcher'.

Arko'narin Ravenstar – Night Elf – Warrior - Student under Jessir Moonbow and just barely over one century old.

Jessir Moonbow – Night Elf – Hunter – Arko'narin's mentor, and just over one thousand years old.

Meridia Moonblade – Night Elf – Former Sentinel, now works for Harry after she was dismissed from service and stripped of her rank. Very good with numbers and research.

Alurmi – Bronze Whelp/High Elf – Formerly the Quartermaster for the Keepers of Time. Sent by Nozdormu to spy on Harry, and kill him if necessary.

Paladin Kriinos – Draenei – Paladin – Sent by Prophet Velen to assist Harry in his quest against the Burning Legion. Brother to Priestess Karinaa.

Priestess Karinaa – Draenei – Priestess – Sent by Prophet Velen to assist Harry. Sister to Paladin Kriinos.

Jaina Proudmoore – Human – Mage – Member of the Kirin Tor. Sent by Kalecgos to investigate Harry and find out what kind of person he is. Friend and former mentor of Lyannara.

Lyannara Spellweaver – Human – Warlock – Former mage and former member of the Kirin Tor. Second in command of _The Unspeakables_. Tentatively codenamed 'Guardian'.

Jasmine Nightshade – Human – Rogue – Member of SI:7 and Stormwind Assassins sent by Mathias as an attachment to _The Worldwalkers._

Garrim Thunderaxe – Dwarf – Warrior – Partner of Hagin Geargrinder.

Hagin Geargrinder – Gnome – Mage – Engineer and partner of Garrim Thunderaxe. Rather eccentric and doesn't like it when goblins call themselves engineers.

Morgan the Collector – Human – Rogue – Former Defias member. Left the Brotherhood after Edwin's orders started becoming more violent. Went by Barley H. Crown while living in Westfall and recently started using Morgan again with the group.

Surena Caledon – Human – Warlock – Former Defias member. Left the Brotherhood with Morgan for much the same reasons. Went by Mama Celeste while in hiding and also recently started using her name again. Goes by 'Cale' to the people she knows well.


	13. Time and Memories

**Disclaimer:**

I don't own anything related to the rights of Harry Potter or Warcraft.

**Author's Note:**

This chapter... This chapter rolled out quickly for me, most of the time taken was piecing it all together. Usually, I sit down and write a chapter from beginning to end. This one, I jumped around the time frame and filled in pieces until it was done. I think it's one of my favorites, but let me know if it's any good.

I decided to do something different with this one, and while it does advance the plot, a lot of it is flashbacks and memories of various characters, all building up to something bigger. Also, in this chapter, you also see a darker side to Harry. I know some things have been mentioned, but this is the first chapter where you see just how dark Harry can be. Granted, there are extenuating circumstances, but still...

Also, Harry never actually _said_ he wasn't a dragon animagus. He made some very leading statements, and let others draw their own conclusions, but he's never said what he is or _isn't_. :)

No Beta, so all mistakes are my own.

**(Aug. 20th, 2013)** - Reworked and tweaked.

**Publish Date:** Apr. 18th, 2013

**Update Date:** Aug. 20th, 2013

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen**

Time and Memories

**00:00:00**

"That particular toxin will make you _want_ to talk and make all your worst nightmares come to life! It'll make you do things that you never would have thought yourself capable of!" du'Paige laughed. "Soon you'll be a stuttering, blubbering mess spilling all your secrets, just like the rest!"

Harry grit his teeth and braced his _occlumency_ shields. "You stupid, _stupid_ bitch," Harry ground out. "You have no idea what you've done, do you?" He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to disregard everything around him. They wanted information, so they wouldn't kill him yet. He could ride this out and then get to work. He just had to block everything out for now.

The problem with _occlumency_, it was only truly effective against an outside attack. Poisons and the like that messed with the mind were mitigated somewhat, but overall it didn't help as much as one would think. Marisa du'Paige cackled insanely and suddenly Harry's shields couldn't hold back the onslaught.

* * *

**-76:47:23**

Early the next morning, the group headed out to Saldean's farm. Karinaa was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling with her hands behind her head, thinking. Everything she learned about Harry just made her like him more, something she was perfectly content with, but her brother, while liking Harry as a person, didn't want the man even considering such a thing with his 'little sister'. Granted, Kriinos knew he couldn't do anything about it, and she knew he wouldn't try, but it still rankled her that after all these years, Kriinos still saw her as someone who needed sheltering from such things.

She shook her head and dismissed thoughts of her brother. It was a minor thing in the end. She was starting to see that Prophet Velen might be right about who Harry was.

* * *

_Karinaa and Kriinos walked up the steps in the Vault of Lights, heading to meet the Prophet. They had both been called for an urgent meeting, something that hadn't happened in many years. They arrived and bowed, straightening after a moment. "Paladin Kriinos and Priestess Karinaa reporting as ordered, Prophet," Kriinos spoke._

_Prophet Velen turned and smiled. "Welcome, both of you. We have much to discuss, and I have a mission for the two of you." He motioned the two siblings to a table and sat, waiting until they were all comfortable before beginning. "I had a rather intriguing meeting with someone earlier today. I want the two of you to join him in his quest. I believe wholly that he is the one the Draenei people have waited for."_

* * *

Karinaa sighed and rolled to her side. Such a thing was difficult to comprehend after so very long waiting, but here he was, and while at first she was hesitant to believe such a thing, the more she learned and heard, the more she believed it, and it made her feel elated.

At first she was skeptical because she couldn't see him being such a person. While she knew he was of the Light, he had dark spots in him, and after twenty-five thousand years of waiting, the image the Draenei people held of the person they were waiting for was rather far-fetched now that she thought about it. She doubted _anyone_ could be _that_ pure. But something she had overheard Harry telling Lyannara made so much sense to her.

* * *

"_Being good isn't about the absence of evil. Everyone has the capacity for evil. Being good is about realizing your own and _choosing _not to let it control your actions. Choice makes all the difference. It's a fight you know you'll never actually win completely, but you do it anyway because it's the right thing to do."_

* * *

Karinaa sighed and rolled on her back again. Thinking about Harry brought up another memory of the meeting with Prophet Velen, when he held her back to talk to her alone.

* * *

"_I don't usually involve myself in what I See, but I feel there can be no harm in it this time." Prophet Velen looked at Karinaa and continued, "The young man you are going to meet is something unique, absolutely one-of-a-kind. I think you in particular could do well in getting to know the man as he is and not the legend we see him as. He has much resting on his shoulders, and he will need some very special people in his life that are close to him to help him shoulder such a burden."_

* * *

She had narrowed what the Prophet meant down to either best friends or lovers, Harry didn't let anyone else close enough. Recently she had become half-hopeful that it was the latter, especially after hearing about how long he could live. Besides, Harry was absolutely fascinating to her, a puzzle wrapped in a riddle and boxed in an enigma. And she had never found a puzzle she had been able to put down without solving.

She smiled to herself and stretched languidly, fully enjoying being able to be in a real bed even while on the road. Now she just had to figure out how to get Harry to join her in it.

* * *

**-74:38:53**

Hope Saldean sighed as she stirred the pot cooking over the fire. She had come back home to pick up a batch of her mother's famous Westfall Stew to take back to Sentinel Hill to give to the homeless people there. She was starting to truly enjoy doing things like this, but the whole thing was tainted with what she was being forced to do, but she couldn't afford to stop doing it. Too much was riding on her doing this.

She heard the sound of a wagon from outside, drawing her attention. In recent years, no one came through her with a wagon, they were all on foot. She looked at the stew, and deciding that it could sit unattended for a bit, she headed outside to see what was going on. She turned in time to see a man and woman hop down from driver's part of the enclosed wagon, both quite well armed and armored. She smiled at the new arrivals and said, "Hello, I'm Hope. What brings you two all the way out here?"

The man looked at her with his vibrant green eyes and spoke first, saying, "My name is Harry, this is Jasmine. We're investigating a couple of murders."

Hope visibly tensed, causing Harry to slow to a stop. Jasmine hadn't seen anything as she was checking on the horses, but Harry looked at Hope intensely and said to his partner without looking away from her, "Hey Jasmine, why don't you head into the wagon, cool off and get something to eat. It's pretty hot out here and I know you missed breakfast this morning."

Jasmine looked up at him and nodded. She noticed the tense atmosphere but was sure Harry could handle this on his own. "I think I will. See you in a bit, Harry." With that, she walked over to the wagon and headed inside, shutting the door behind her.

As soon as the door shut, Harry spoke. "You didn't seem at all surprised about the murders. In fact you still haven't asked who was killed. Most people do that you know. Natural curiosity and whatnot."

* * *

**-74:31:22**

Alurmi was in her whelp form, lying in the little alcove in her room, thinking. Harry had made this room specifically for her. The alcove had a lip at the entrance, to keep the fine sand from getting out of the small cave and into the room. She had briefly mentioned once that she liked lying on sand, as it served a dual purpose. It was quite comfortable, but she could also use it to scour her scales and keep them clean and shiny. She didn't think he had remembered that little fact. Every day Harry seemed to become more and more important to her, and the Bronze Dragonflight more distant.

She sighed and wriggled a bit, getting more comfortable. She still hadn't really figured out what she was going to do about Harry and her orders. On one hand, the flight was her family, on the other, Harry had been kinder and more considerate to her in the short time she'd known him than her 'family' had ever been. And with Nozdormu demanding blind obedience, things within the flight were becoming more and more strained.

* * *

"_Blind obedience is never a good thing," the adventurer said. "The only people who follow blindly are the ones that can't think for themselves."_

* * *

She barely remembered that man. He came through the Caverns of Time one day a long time ago, looking for something. She couldn't even remember what now. They had shared a few drinks and talked for a while, before he left and disappeared into the desert, never to be seen again. She kept an ear out for anything about him she could find, but he was rather elusive. A few of the adventurers that came through after had met him briefly, or been helped out by him, but then he'd disappear and that person would never meet him again for the rest of their life.

She sighed again. She knew she'd have to make a choice soon, but it was a choice that would shape her entire future, for better or worse. She was hesitant to make such choices, but this was one that had to be made.

* * *

"_One day, you'll have to make a choice," the adventurer said to her. "Between what is right and what is easy." He drained the last of the drink and stood to leave, adding, "That's the day you'll really know what kind of person you are."_

* * *

But which choice was the right one?

* * *

**-73:39:56**

"So you're being blackmailed by this Marisa du'Paige into recruiting for the Defias and being a figurehead leader?" Harry asked. He had used his _legilimency_ on her for her entire story, verifying that what she had told him so far was the truth. "Why?"

Hope hesitated for a moment before replying, "I stumbled into the Saldean's home about five years ago. I faked my memory loss because I thought that if they knew who I was, they'd turn me over to Stormwind and I'd be thrown in prison or killed." She shook her head and muttered, "I was thirteen at the time, it made more sense then." She looked at Harry and continued, "Eventually I had gone with that story for so long that telling them I had been lying about it the whole time was too difficult and suddenly gaining my memory back was too far-fetched."

Harry looked confused. "Why would the Saldean's have you thrown in prison or killed?"

Hope sighed and said, "Because of who I am, and who my father was." She hesitated for a long moment, before finishing, "My name is Vanessa VanCleef, and Edwin was my father."

Harry looked surprised for a second and then nodded. "Alright then. Come with me. This just went from a murder investigation to a full-scale operation against the Defias."

* * *

**-72:24:11**

Harry was standing at the table, with the rest of the group gathered around, including Vanessa. "So that's where we stand at the moment," Harry said to the group. "Now, I think I have a plan to get us all inside, and it only really risks me, and seeing as you all know about me, the risk is rather negligible."

"Are you sure we can trust _her_?" Jasmine sneered at Vanessa.

Harry scowled and replied flatly. "Yes. And when this is all over, we're going to have a talk about that attitude of yours."

"Alright, what's the plan?" Morgan asked, interrupting the argument before it began and getting the meeting back on track.

Harry sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Let me finish it all and then think about it objectively before any of you complain about it, alright?" After receiving nods of agreement from everyone, he asked, "Is there another entrance to their base?"

Morgan replied, "There's an exit at the very back, behind the Juggernaut Edwin was working on." Morgan shrugged and added, "At least there was before me and Cale got out."

"It's still there," Vanessa said quietly, still slightly uncomfortable. "They don't use it much, and they've built a pretty solid door to keep it secure. The door is locked from the inside as well."

"And where does the Defias keep most of its supplies and valuables?" Harry asked her.

Vanessa thought for a moment before replying, "Depends. Most of it is on the Juggernaut, but the metals and gems are in the Foundry. That's pretty close to the Juggernaut, though. There are a few more things scattered around the caves, but for the most part, those two rooms house the majority of the Defias' supplies and wealth."

Harry nodded and continued, "We need to break the Defias completely. Vanessa here can get me inside, and once there I can get that door open and let you all in. We work our way to the Foundry, empty it of everything we can get our hands on, and load it all on the Juggernaut. Then we hold that ship long enough for me to get it moving and sail it right out."

"Actually, the Juggernaut is repaired and fully functional," Vanessa said. "The Defias just didn't have anyone that could sail it."

Harry grinned and said, "Even better. Does anyone here know how to work a boat?" Jessir, Lyannara, Morgan, Surena, Meridia, and surprisingly, Karinaa all raised their hands. Harry nodded and continued, "Good. That should be enough for a skeleton crew, at least to get the ship out of there and somewhere safe until we're ready to utilize it."

"I still don't like the idea of you going in there alone," Alurmi said. "A lot could go wrong with this."

Harry nodded and replied, "Which is why you all are my backup. If I'm not out in three days, or things look like they've gone south, feel free to ride in and save me."

"There's a lot they can do in three days," Jasmine added.

Harry nodded again. "I know, but this isn't the first time I've done something like this, and this time I have backup, so I'm not worried. That's the plan everyone. Vanessa and I will go on ahead, Morgan can lead you all to the back door. Set up camp nearby and wait for my signal." He grinned and added, "Considering you all get to camp out in this wagon, it shouldn't be too uncomfortable."

"Who's in charge while you're gone?" Meridia asked quietly. She hated seeing him put himself at such a risk, but she knew there was no changing his mind. The most she could do is try to mitigate the potential problems and keep herself busy until he got back.

Harry thought for a moment before saying, "Jaina and Jessir. They both have quite a bit of experience leading and know what to do."

* * *

**-55:42:28**

Meridia sighed, lost in thought. She knew why Harry wasn't letting her into any kind of combat, but it didn't stop her from feeling so _useless_. She wanted to do something more than sit at a desk and work on the books all day. At least research had _some_ field work, and that was where her passion was. While she didn't want to be a soldier, she also didn't want to be stuck in a small room for the rest of her life. She wanted to _explore_.

* * *

"_Every female in our family since the beginning has served as a Sentinel, and _you_ won't be the one to break such a tradition."_

* * *

She still hated her mother for that, forcing her into a profession that just wasn't for her, and her father simply allowed it. He never stood up for what _she _wanted, but he would fight her mother to the end for her brothers.

Apparently he didn't even want a daughter in the first place.

She still didn't want to be the disappointment of the family, though. So she pushed aside what she wanted and enlisted, tried her best to make her parents proud of her, but nothing was ever good enough. All the work she had put in to the attempt destroyed in just a few seconds with a single arrow. And now she was shunned and disowned and no one back in Darnassus seemed to care one bit.

Her parents had kicked her out and all she had was the dress she had been wearing. She didn't even have shoes. Then one of the Sentinels had told her that General Shandris and the man she had killed wanted to see her. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but she was positive that it would be horribly unpleasant. All she wanted to do right then was run as far as she could as fast as she could and never look back, but she went anyway.

She was absolutely grateful to Harry for taking such a chance with her. While she wasn't necessarily _pleased_ with the job Harry had her doing at the moment, she knew he simply didn't have enough people to cover all the odd things that went into running a group such as the one Harry was building. She just happened to be the one that got the short straw for the moment, and he did promise to get someone who enjoyed it so she could do something _she_ enjoyed to help the group. In her effort to prove she was useful, she had actually cornered herself into this for the time being.

But she knew Harry would keep his promise. She just had to deal with a mediocre job for the moment. Then she would get to do something she truly enjoyed.

* * *

"_It's always important to enjoy what you do, otherwise you'll be miserable for your entire life," the man said to her. He toyed with the trinket in his hand and added, "The people who want you to be something you simply aren't, simply aren't worth your time."_

* * *

It had been a long time since she had thought about that stranger. A human that came through Darnassus when she was young, he disappeared shortly after, and she had never seen him again. He had fascinated her to no end, and she had followed him around the city and bugged him for story after story. He had indulged her, patiently telling her tale after tale, until she had to go home and he had to leave the city. She wondered what happened to that man, he had likely died of old age by now. She missed his stories.

* * *

**-39:57:03**

Jessir was sitting on the bed, checking her arrows to make sure they were still in working order and that the arrowheads were sharp. It had been a while since she had done her usual maintenance, and now was a good time to do it, seeing as they would be fighting soon. She set down the arrow in her hands and picked up the next one, part of her mind wandering as she performed the menial task.

* * *

"_Sometimes, waiting is going to be the most difficult part of your job. Sitting around and waiting when you know your friends are in danger is one of the hardest things you will have to do, but sometimes it's necessary," General Shandris told her._

* * *

Jessir sighed and continued her work. While it did need to be done, it was just something to pass the time until they were ready to move into the mines and begin their operation. She had found that keeping her hands busy made the waiting marginally easier to deal with.

Arrow after arrow was checked over, and out of her entire batch, three needed repairing, and one was useless, as it had a cracked shaft. She started the task of repairing as part of her mind drifted off.

* * *

"_You need to have faith in something," the adventurer said._

"_I have faith in Elune," A young Jessir replied hotly._

_The adventurer shook his head and replied, "That's not faith. You know she exists, you know her power, you have _proof_. Faith can be defined in five words." The adventurer looked intently at her and said, "Belief without, or despite, proof."_

* * *

Jessir had been nearly eight centuries old by the time she understood that. At first she had been rather upset with the man, and refused to think about what he had said. Eventually she knew what he meant, but that was centuries later, and she never got the chance to tell him that one small conversation ended up being one of the most important things she had ever learned.

* * *

**-14:33:27**

After getting Vanessa's adoptive parents, the Saldean's, safely to Sentinel Hill and under the protection of Marshal Gryan Stoutmantle, The group plus Vanessa headed towards their next destination. It took the group nearly a full day to get to a spot that was concealed but could still see the entrance to the cave that housed the back entrance to the Deadmines. Morgan, Jasmine, and Lyannara and headed into Moonbrook to keep an eye on the main entrance and keep tabs on what was going on from that angle. Every few hours, one of them would head back to the wagon for updates and reports. So far, things were quiet, and it was coming uncomfortably close to the deadline for Harry.

Suddenly, there was a commotion in the central square. A shadowy figure was giving an impassioned speech, rallying the people into action against Stormwind and King Varian Wrynn. After the figure finished, the person hopped down from the back of the wagon, walking calmly and on a path that would take her right by Lyannara. The figure bumped into her, and Lyannara felt a small piece of paper being shoved into her hand.

"Pardon me," the figure muttered, continuing to walk by the Warlock and into the entrance to the Deadmines.

Lyannara frowned slightly as she pocketed the paper to read later. Something was wrong if Vanessa was passing something to her in such an open place. Granted, the woman was quite good at sleight of hand, but that was a risk in such a crowded place. Lyannara hurried off to meet the other two behind one of the barns on the edge of the small town. As soon as they were all together, Lyannara pulled the note out of her pocket and opened it. It was just six words scrawled hastily on a scrap of paper, but it caused the three to panic momentarily and rush off to the wagon.

_Plan went south. Get him out._

* * *

**-13:18:47**

After making a hasty report, culminating in the contents of the note, the group looked at Jaina and Jessir for orders. Jaina, for her part, was fighting back panic at the thought of what they could be doing to someone who was quickly becoming a good friend, and wondering how things could have gone so wrong.

* * *

"_Sometimes, things simply don't go as planned," Antonidas, Jaina's mentor said to her. "When that happens, you have two choices. You can panic and fall apart when the people around you need you the most, or you can keep your head, salvage what you can of your original plan, and do your best to keep the people around you alive."_

* * *

Jaina took a breath and forced her panic to the side. "We need a plan to get him out of there. If we try to wing it, we'll likely lose people. I, for one, don't like that idea, and I'm sure Harry would hate it." She sighed and continued, "We should also try to complete the original objective if we can."

"You want us to try and worry about robbing the Defias while they're most likely torturing Harry right this minute?" Karinaa asked incredulously. "Damn the stuff, we need to get Harry back!" she exclaimed.

Jaina nodded and replied, "I know, but Harry had a point. Without that stuff, the Defias won't be able to do much, and that will help the people in their area of influence greatly." She hesitated for a moment before continuing, "And from a purely pragmatic viewpoint, we all know Harry will survive this, so we do have the time to plan for the attempt, especially since this may be our only chance to do it."

The group was about to explode at Jaina when Jessir cut her off. "This is why Harry left the two of us in charge. Leaders _must_ prioritize things, even when it's a person's life. Ending the threat the Defias pose is our primary concern, as it affects the greatest amount of people. Saving Harry doesn't." Jessir sighed and shook her head. "Not only that, but we all _know_ that he will survive this. There's simply no way they can kill him."

"There are far worse things than death," Lyannara muttered. She wanted her friend and boss back.

"I know that, but Harry is strong. He can handle himself for a short time while we plan and prepare," Jessir said.

"We're also going to need more people than we currently have," Jaina added. "Harry recruited a few people into the group when we went to Dalaran. I think I should go and get them."

"Alana and Coria?" Lyannara questioned. "And whoever else they got together since then?"

Jaina nodded in reply. "We're going to need them." She sighed and thought for a moment. "I feel like we're forgetting something important," Jaina muttered under her breath.

* * *

"_Never forget your allies," Antonidas told her. "It's also important to never forget the allies of your friends, even if those people aren't _your_ allies. When your friends are in trouble, I hope you will be wise enough to put aside differences and grudges to reach a common goal." He grinned and added, "You can always go back to disliking each other later."_

* * *

"There's one more thing," Jaina said, causing the group to look at her. "There's one other ally of Harry's that we forgot about, and we're going to need all the help we can get with this." She took a deep breath, knowing that what she was going to say next could cause problems. "We need a way to get in touch with Sylvanas."

"Dobby should be able to do it," Arko'narin said. "He's taken a message to her before."

Just then, the little house-elf popped in. "You be needing Dobby for something?"

Jaina jumped slightly in surprise at his sudden appearance, before saying, "Yes, we need to get a message to Sylvanas Windrunner. Can you deliver it for us?"

Dobby nodded. "Of course, Miss Jaina."

"Tell her that one of Harry's plans went south, and we would appreciate any help she could give us. He was going to pretend to be captured, and now he really is. If she wants to know where we are, tell her we're at the western end of the Dagger Hills in Westfall, on a cliff overlooking the lighthouse." Dobby nodded and popped away to deliver the message to the Banshee Queen. "Alright, I'll make a portal to Dalaran and be back shortly with more reinforcements. Let's get everything we'll need together and start planning as soon as I return with them."

"Wait a second," Jasmine said hesitantly, causing everyone to stop and look at her. She sighed and looked down at the table. "We need as many people with us as possible for this to succeed." She took a deep breath and continued, "Does anyone else have any other allies they can call on quickly?"

The silence continued for a long moment, with the group looking around at each other to see if anyone knew of more allies to bring in. Eventually Jasmine sighed and muttered, "I guess not." She spoke louder and said, "Alright, let's get ready to get our reinforcements and gear up to go and rescue Harry." With that, the group split up and went to gather supplies and whatnot.

* * *

**-12:50:37**

Sylvanas was sitting at her desk, lost in thought, tracing patterns on the wood with her finger. As soon as she had returned to the Undercity from Mount Hyjal, she had told Nathanos that he was in charge of the city for a while, and that she had things she needed to think on before she would be of any use. Soon after that, she sequestered herself in her quarters and hadn't come out.

"What will happen to us when this is all over?" Sylvanas whispered to the empty room. "Will my people go back to the lives they had before they died? Rejoin their factions? Or will they stay as Forsaken?" She sighed quietly and continued voicing her thoughts to no one. "What will happen to _me_? Will I become the leader of a faction that no longer exists? And if they do stay together after being returned to life, will they be more loyal to me for brokering such a deal? Or will they be Harry's for _doing_ it?"

Sylvanas stood and began pacing, continuing her thinking. "I originally wanted revenge on Arthas, it's why I gathered the undead free of him into a unified faction."

* * *

"_They are arrows in our quiver."_

* * *

Sylvanas stumbled to a stop. Something said more than once, something she truly believed when it was spoken, but now? "When all this is over, Arthas is dead and I have my revenge, what will I do? What will I have to show for it? If I survive and Harry keeps his end of the bargain, what will I want to do when I'm alive and whole again?"

* * *

"_Come on, write down you're wish and throw the coin in!" Alleria Windrunner said brightly, tossing in her own silver coin._

"_What's the point in it?" Sylvanas asked. "It's just a fountain."_

_Alleria smiled at her sister and replied, "Hope. You must have hope in something, a dream, a wish, anything. If you don't, you'll become bitter and lost. I don't want to see my little sister grow up that way."_

_Sylvanas sighed and smiled as she rolled her eyes at her sister. "Fine." She fished out the first coin her hand touched in her pocket, slightly surprised that it was one of the same strange gold coins she had won not two hours ago from the slightly odd green-eyed human. She shrugged to herself and began writing, blocking her sister who was trying to read it over her shoulder. As soon as she was finished, she flipped it into the Dalaran fountain, where it landed with a small splash and sank quickly to the bottom. "There, happy?"_

"_Of course!" Alleria replied. "Now, what did you wish for?"_

_Sylvanas smiled and responded, "I'm not telling." She pushed away from the fountain and stretched, saying, "We should be getting back. Vereesa is likely going to be worried that we were gone so long." As they walked away, Sylvanas smiled wider and thought about what she had written on the gold coin._

_'I hope my sisters and I can grow up and get married together.'_

* * *

She sighed heavily as she remembered that particular incident. Hope was something that she had none of now. Was she bitter and lost? She supposed she was. Bitter about everything and lost sight of everything that truly mattered. All she had left was a terrible burning desire for bloody and absolute _revenge_.

* * *

"_Let me tell you something about revenge," the odd man said, rearranging the cards in his hand. "It's all-consuming. It'll be all you think about, night and day, and you'll sell, trade, and give absolutely anything for it." He looked up at her, his brilliant emerald green eyes boring into her own bright blue ones. "And once you have it, you'll find it's hollow and worthless. True, you'll have a brief, shining moment of satisfaction, but you'll find that's _all_ you have. You won't have friends, because they held you back. You won't have a home, because you left it so long ago. You won't have family, because you abandoned them. And you won't have your entire soul, because you traded and sold and gave pieces of it away to anyone that would further your goals. You need to decide what's more important to you before you set yourself on a path of vengeance. A single, brief moment of satisfaction, or the things and people that make you whole."_

_The man sighed and looked at the cards in his hand again. "I fold. Absolutely worthless hand," he said with a grin, tossing his cards face-down on the table in front of him. "Looks like you win this one, Sylvie. But one day I'll be back for a rematch." With that, he drained the last of his mug and stood up, walking away without another word or look back._

_Sylvanas watched him leave, thinking about what he had said. He spoke as if he had thorough experience in the matter. She shook her head and muttered, "I won't be the same." She stood and picked up the small bag of gold, the last wager the man had made on their card game. She started to walk away and stopped, curiosity flooding her. She walked around the table and picked up his cards, nearly dropping them in shock. She couldn't figure out why he folded, what was the point with a hand like this?_

_It was a perfect, winning hand._

_And it wasn't until much later that she realized something. She never told him her first name._

* * *

Sylvanas shook her head as she remembered what the man had told her. By the time she had broken free of Arthas' control, she was entirely consumed with her desire for vengeance. And now that she was well on her way to getting it, what else did she have that mattered?

She sighed and flopped down into her chair, muttering, "I guess I really was the same." After a moment she shook her head and stood. She refused to feel sorry for herself. She strode around the room, beginning to gather items and laying them out on her bed. A small pop startled her, and she drew her sword as she spun around. Seeing who it was, she sighed and sheathed her blade. "What is it, Dobby?"

The little elf bounced on his toes and replied hurriedly, "Master Harry's companions request help, and want to know if you will be willing to do so."

Sylvanas arched an eyebrow. "Harry's companions? Not Harry himself?" she questioned. Last she had heard, he was traveling with an Alliance group, so this event was extremely unlikely. "Why did they request _my_ help?"

"Master Harry came up with a plan to be pretend captured, and the plan went wrong. Now master Harry is really captured and companions are gathering all allies to rescue him," Dobby said, still unable to stand still.

"Where are they?" Sylvanas questioned the house-elf.

"Westfall, at the western end of the Dagger Hills, on a cliff overlooking the lighthouse," Dobby replied. "Should I take a message to them, Lady Sylvie?"

Sylvanas froze for a second before shaking her head free of the absolutely insane notion that entered it. "Yes, tell them I'll have someone make a portal near the area, and that I'll be bringing three of my rangers with me." Dobby nodded and popped away, and Sylvanas walked quickly to the door. She jerked it open and snatched one of her rangers, spinning the woman around and surprising her with the sudden action. "Bring Nathanos Blightcaller, Bethor Iceshard and rangers Clea, Cyndia and Anya to me. NOW!" The ranger nodded once and rushed off as fast as her feet would carry her. As soon as the ranger left, Sylvanas turned and began packing.

* * *

**-12:46:14**

Jaina Proudmoore stepped out of the portal in Dalaran and rushed out of the Violet Citadel. She knew where she was headed would be less than welcoming to her, but she headed to the tavern on the Horde side of Dalaran anyway. The moment she stepped inside _The Filthy Animal_, all noise stopped. It was a rare occasion to see an Alliance member show up in such a place, it was an entirely different matter when that person was as notable as Jaina Proudmoore.

Jaina looked around and quickly spotted Alana and Coria talking with two orcs, a forsaken, a troll, and two tauren. Alana looked up from her conversation and locked eyes with Jaina, who jerked her head towards the door and left just as quickly as she had entered.

As soon as the noise had picked back up, Alana turned to the rest of the group she was with and said, "Let's go, looks like we're being called in earlier than I thought." With that, the group stood and dropped various coins on the table to pay for their food and drinks before quickly leaving the tavern.

They caught up with Jaina a short distance away and Coria asked, "What's wrong? You don't usually show up on this side of Dalaran."

"Are these the recruits?" Jaina asked. At Alana's nod, she continued, "Harry came up with a plan that went south pretty badly. Now he's being held prisoner in a fortified base. We're drawing everyone in to mount a rescue," Jaina replied quickly. "Is everyone ready to go? We don't have much time to spare."

"We've been packed and ready for the past few days, we just need to go grab out bags," the red armored orc replied. "Shouldn't take us more than ten minutes."

Jaina nodded. "Alright then, meet me out in front of the Violet Citadel. We'll leave as soon as everyone's ready."

* * *

**-11:21:21**

Sylvanas and her three rangers made their way to the wagon as fast as their feet would carry them. Bethor had only been able to make a portal to the south end of Alexston Farmstead, and even that was pushing it, it had been a long time since the undead mage had been anywhere near Westfall.

"Why are we out here in Alliance territory, General? You never did say," Dark Ranger Clea asked Sylvanas.

Sylvanas stopped and turned to the three following her. "I brought the three of you because you're some of my best, and I trust that when I say what I'm about to tell you can go no further for the time being, that you will keep it to yourselves." At their nods, the Ranger General continued. "I recently made an ally of sorts. Someone who has made me an offer that it simply isn't in our best interests to refuse. He has recently been captured and we are going to help his other allies in rescuing him."

Ranger Cyndia looked slightly confused. "What kind of offer could he have made?"

Sylvanvas sighed and replied, "In exchange for the Forsaken helping him take down his foes, he will restore our people to what we once were. We will no longer be undead."

The shock was clear on the faces of the three Dark Rangers. "Can he really do such a thing?" Anya asked curiously.

"I believe he is quite capable of it," Sylvanas said. "Whether or not he will is another matter entirely. Either way, his enemies are the same as ours, Kil'jaeden and the Lich King." She shook her head and continued, "Even if he backs out of the deal at the end, the assistance he and his provide in killing those two will be worth it."

Clea shrugged. "If he backs out, we can always kill him for it."

Sylvanas simply laughed uproariously in reply. "I do not believe any of us are capable of killing him. Not for long at least. He has a powerful ally in his corner, one that I simply can not afford to get on the wrong side of. She has already proven that she could end me whenever she wishes, no matter where I am."

Clea froze. "If he has such an ally, then why does he need our help in this?"

"I don't know," Sylvanas shrugged. "I believe it may have to do with who she is. We are already half-way in her realm, whereas Kil'jaeden and Arthas are not."

"Just who is this ally of his?" Anya asked curiously.

Sylvanas hesitated for a moment before replying, "Death herself. And she refers to Harry, the name of our new ally, as her _Master_. I for one have no interest in getting on the wrong side of someone who decides what my afterlife is like."

* * *

**-10:17:53**

Sylvanas knocked sharply on the door of the wagon and stepped back. It wasn't long before the door opened to reveal Jaina Proudmoore, causing the three rangers behind the Dark Lady to tense. Jaina's eyes flicked over the group and she said, "Glad you could come, Sylvanas. We need as much help with this as possible." Jaina stepped to the side and motioned the four rangers through the door and into the wagon. Clea, Anya, and Cyndia looked a bit skeptical that an entire group could fit in such a small space, but Sylvanas stepped inside and disappeared from view, causing the three rangers to shrug and follow their General.

They stumbled to a stop upon seeing the inside of the wagon. "But-" Clea started, then seemed to change her mind and asked, "How?"

Jaina just shrugged in reply and said, "I honestly have no idea. All Harry would say is 'magic' and that's about it." Jaina turned to the rest of the group and continued, "Seeing as everyone's here, let's do introductions, get everyone caught up so we're on the same page, and get a plan together." Jaina started pointing around the group, saying the person's name as she did so, "That's Arko'narin Ravenstar, Jessir Moonbow, and Meridia Moonblade. Alurmi is our resident bronze whelp, Paladin Kriinos and Priestess Karinaa are the two Draenei at the table. The humans are Lyannara Spellweaver, Jasmine Nightshade, Morgan the Collector, and his partner Surena Caledon. Garrim Thunderaxe and Hagin Geargrinder round out the alliance races present in the group."

Jaina continued, "The two orcs are Utvoch and Dontrag, Tortunga is the troll in the corner there, Rimblat Earthshatter and Taruk are the two tauren, and the forsaken is Lilian Voss. The two blood elves are Alana Morningray and Coria Suntreader." She turned to the rest of the group and added, "I'm sure you all know Sylvanas Windrunner, and I'll let her make the introductions for her rangers, as I don't know their names either."

Sylvanas looked around the group for a moment before pointing out her rangers in order. "These are Dark Rangers Clea Deathstrider, Cyndia Hawkspear, and Anya Eversong." The Banshee Queen turned to Jaina and asked, "Who is in charge of the planning and assault?"

Jaina and Jessir looked at each other for a long moment. They had discussed this earlier. Neither of them had the same experience in leading in combat as Sylvanas did. The Dark Lady earned the rank of Ranger-General and had kept it for the five centuries since the Farstriders had been officially formed until the day she was killed. Even then, she and her sisters had fought in the Troll Wars almost three millenia ago. Jaina looked over at the Forsaken Queen and replied, "You are."

Sylvanas' eyes widened a fraction and she was silent for a moment. "Alright, then I need to know everything about this place, what your goals are, and where everyone's skills lie. Don't keep anything back, the smallest detail could mean the difference between success and defeat."

* * *

**-08:43:47**

Sylvanas sat silently at the table, looking over the roughly drawn maps of the Deadmines and going over all the information in her head, rapidly forming and discarding sections of plans until she was satisfied with the results. "The juggernaut is a priority. We must take it and then hold it since it's our way out of the Deadmines." She looked up and asked, "Does anyone know where they keep the prisoners?"

Morgan spoke up and said, "Back when I was part of the Brotherhood, we kept prisoners down in the hold of the ship. With Marisa in charge, though..." He trailed off and shook his head. "That woman is twenty pounds of crazy in a five pound bag. For all I know, she could be keeping him in the upper parts of the mines."

"We also need to get Vanessa out of there. She risked quite a bit to help us," Lyannara added.

Sylvanas nodded absently and looked back at the map. After a moment she spoke, "How long will it take to get the wagon from here to the deck of the Juggernaut?"

"At least half an hour," Morgan replied.

Sylvanas nodded in reply. "We'll send the majority of our forces in, with the wagon following fifteen minutes later. That should give us enough time to take the deck and secure it at least. Hagin, bring explosives just in case we need them to get the door open. Once we're all together, one team will stay behind on the boat to defend it and search it for any hostile forces and our allies, along with waiting for the wagon and securing it so it doesn't go overboard once we get the ship moving. The rest will move further into the mines to search there and gather what we can. The second team with be pushing ahead, clearing out targets and marking high priority items for us to take, and the third will follow behind. Team three will be in charge of gathering and storing everything they can get their hands on, marked items first. At this point, speed is more important than quantity, we can't afford to get into a protracted fight in an enemy stronghold."

Lyannara spoke up and said, "Harry keyed me, Alurmi and Meridia into quite a few of the trunks he brought with him. We can carry and store things in there."

"A few trunks may not make much of a difference compared to the weight they'd be after being loaded," Sylvanas said, brushing off the idea.

Lyannara shook her head and said, "The trunks are like this room. Bigger on the inside. Plus I've picked up and carried a fully packed one with no problems."

Sylvanas looked up and muttered, "Well that changes things." She sighed and said, "Alright, small change. Team three will be taking those trunks with them. Other than that, team three's orders stand. Marked items first, then whatever you can get." She looked around the group and continued, "Clea is in charge of team one, which will include Jessir, Karinaa, Garim, Hagin, Lilian and Alana. Team three will be led by Jaina and consist of Arko'narin, Kriinos, Meridia, Alurmi, Lyannara, Cyndia, Coria, and Taruk. I'll be leading team two, which will consist of Jasmine, Morgan, Surena, Anya, Rimblat, Utvoch, Dontrag, and Tortunga. Get ready and get what sleep you can. We move out in about nine hours."

* * *

**00:00:00**

"That particular toxin will make you _want_ to talk and make all your worst nightmares come to life! It'll make you do things that you never would have thought yourself capable of!" du'Paige laughed. "Soon you'll be a stuttering, blubbering mess spilling all your secrets!"

Harry grit his teeth and braced his _occlumency_ shields. "You stupid, _stupid_ bitch," Harry ground out. "You have no idea what you've done, do you?" He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to disregard everything around him. They wanted information, so they wouldn't kill him yet. He could ride this out and then get to work. He just had to block everything out for now.

The problem with _occlumency_, it was only truly effective against an outside attack. Poisons and the like that messed with the mind were mitigated somewhat, but overall it didn't help as much as one would think. Marisa du'Paige cackled insanely and suddenly Harry's shields couldn't hold back the onslaught.

He was fifteen again, down in the bowels of the ministry building, chasing down the insane, cackling _bitch_ that killed his godfather.

* * *

"_Aaaaaah... Did you _love_ him, little baby Potter?"_

"_Never used an Unforgivable Curse before, have you, boy?"_

"_You need to _mean_ them, Potter!"_

"_Righteous anger won't hurt me for long..."_

* * *

Then he was twenty, hunting down the remnants of the Death Eaters as an Unspeakable.

* * *

"_Over there! Kill him!"_

_You think you can take me? You lot got lucky at Hogwarts!"_

"_Our lord will return, as he always does."_

* * *

Then he was forty, Voldemort had returned _again_ and brought his followers to the world Harry had finally escaped to.

And this time, Harry was going to bring the war to _him_.

* * *

Vanessa VanCleef was drawn to the cells by a long shriek of absolute agony. She sighed to herself and cursed. She had truly hoped that Marisa wouldn't do anything too permanent to Harry, but it sounded like she was in rare form. She threw open the cell door and stepped inside, ready to do what she could to help him out. The sight before her caused her to stumble to a stop and the blood to freeze in her veins.

Marisa was twisting and writhing on the ground, screeching in pain, with the prisoner standing above her, pointing the stick they had confiscated from him not an hour before. He rotated his wrist slowly, causing Marisa's shrieks of utter agony to increase in volume to the point that Vanessa was sure that her vocal cords would rupture. The man flicked his wrist away from Marisa, who began gasping and spasming uncontrollably, sobbing and begging for the pain to stop, promising every single thing she had and more.

He just kicked her side, breaking a rib or two with an audible crack. "Aww, can ickle baby Bella not handle a bit of pain?"

Vanessa took a step forward and Harry spun faster than she could close the distance. His eyes widened a fraction and then he snarled and flicked his wrist twice. From her perspective, the first had no effect, but the second hit her like a hammer, knocking the breath from her lungs and sending her crashing into the wall. It took her a second before she realized she was stuck there, about six inches off the ground, and unable to do anything at all.

"Looks like we have ickle baby Bella's little sister Cissy to play with, too!" He said in a sickly sweet voice. The kind of voice one would use to talk to babies and toddlers. It sent a chill up her spine and made her gulp in fear of what was to come. "Why don't you _stick_ around and wait your turn." Harry snorted in derision and turned back to Marisa. "Now, once again. Where. Is. He?" he asked, his voice as hard a diamond.

"I don't know who you want!" Marisa sobbed harder. "How am I supposed to tell you anything if I don't know what you want at all?"

The man frowned and replied, "You're his best lieutenant, his bloody fucking _right hand_! Don't you dare tell me you have no idea who I'm talking about, ickle Bella." He pointed the stick at her and said casually, "Well, let's see if I still _mean it_." With that, a dark, blood-red bolt of light shot from the tip of his stick and hit Marisa, causing her to scream again.

Vanessa was absolutely terrified of what would happen when he turned his attention to her. The only thing she could come up with for how Harry was acting was that Marisa used a toxin to induce hallucinations, which didn't seem to be going to well for her at the moment. While Vanessa was glad about that, the utter viciousness she was seeing from Harry was like nothing else she had seen before.

* * *

Getting into the mines proved to be much easier than anyone thought it would be. They were just getting ready to set the explosives when it opened and a Defias thug stepped out, his eyes widening in surprise as an arrow went through his throat. He grabbed at the wound to attempt to stem the bleeding and gurgled, crashing to the ground and dying shortly after.

The group moved into the mines and up the ramp to the deck of the Juggernaut. Clea's team set their long range fighters at the edge of the deck, while the melee group stuck close to them, watching their backs.

Sylvanas' team went down the scaffolding on the other side of the boat and deeper into the mines, killing Defias members quickly so they couldn't raise the alarm. Anya and Surena moved around, marking things for the team behind them to pick up and making haphazard piles of items, weapons, armor and coin for quick pickup by the looting team.

They pushed their way into the foundry, and once it was cleared out of enemies and items were marked for pickup, the moved up the ramp and further into the mines. As they moved past the mast room, a sudden screaming drew their attention. They rushed forward and down a small tunnel just past the turn that would have taken them closer to the entrance of the mines. A small cell had been build in the alcove, and as soon as they reached the door, Sylvanas kicked it open.

That proved to be a mistake.

If it wasn't for the Banshee Queen's amazing reflexes honed by millenia in combat, the sickly purple light that shot out of Harry's wand would have hit her. She just barely twisted out of the way and made it behind the wall outside the door just as a second and third light shot from the doorway.

There was a moment of silence, and Sylvanas was about to stick her head around and look into the room, but Harry's cold voice stopped her.

"Hello, Tom. Bella and I were just having a nice little chat." He muttered something that the General couldn't quite catch and a shriek of agony erupted from inside the room. "I think your bitch here isn't quite as good at handling pain as she used to be."

Sylvanas was about to speak when she saw Jasmine shaking her head sharply. "poisoned," she mouthed to Sylvanas. She had gotten a look into the room and had seen him, sweating and shaking slightly. "Harry, it's Jasmine. Do you remember me?"

Jasmine heard a snort from inside. "Of course. But polyjuice is a wonderful thing. How do I know your really Jasmine? And for that matter, why would you be with that sick fucking snake?"

Jasmine sighed. This was going to be more difficult than she thought. "Harry, there's no one out here called Tom."

Another snort. "Like I'd ever forget those red eyes."

Sylvanas' eyes widened. Suddenly his anger at seeing her on Mount Hyjal for the first time made more sense. Harry, I'm not Tom, I'm Sylvanas Windrunner. You insisted on calling me 'Sylvie' quite often though, much to my displeasure." She turned to Anya and muttered, "Take the others and help them gather up what you can and head back to the boat. We'll handle things here." Anya nodded and turned back towards the others, motioning them down the tunnel and off towards the back of the mines to carry out Sylvanas' orders.

"Harry, please. What's the last thing you remember _clearly_?"

There was a long moment of silence from inside the room, which was broken by Vanessa saying from inside, "Marisa poisoned you, Harry. Some kind of hallucinogen. That's _Marisa_, not whoever Bella is."

The silence stretched on for another long, tense moment, before Harry said weakly, "I thought... I..." There was a thud from inside as Vanessa was released from the wall, and she said gently, "It's okay, Harry, but we need to get out of here." A small shuffling sound was followed by her saying, "Let's go, Harry. You can rest soon, I promise. We just need to get out of here first."

A few moments later, Vanessa came out with Harry's arm over her shoulders, holding him up. "They've kept him drugged with so many things I'm honestly surprised he can still walk, let alone fight. That last concoction Marisa used must have been too much for his body to handle."

Jasmine went to Harry's other side and pulled his arm over her shoulders, taking some of his weight off of Vanessa. The small group made their way as quickly as they could manage back to the Juggernaut. They were the last to arrive, and as soon as they got onto the deck, the rest jumped into action, working on getting the boat out of the cove and into open waters where they could rest and recuperate and take the time to decide on their next move.

* * *

For the planning that went into it, and problems that arose, robbing the Defias turned out to be rather anticlimactic. Most of the lower ranks had been further in the mines then where they went, and the higher ranking members had either not arrived, not been recruited yet, or in the case of Admiral Ripsnarl, been in a set of stocks at Sentinel Hill.

They ended up coming away with quite a bit, and Alurmi and Meridia were enlisting the help of a few other members to get everything sorted and inventoried. So far, they came away with hundreds of bars of copper, tin, bronze, steel, iron, mithril and a few of the more precious metals, such as truesilver, regular silver, and gold, a dozen extra cannons they had managed to roll on to the Juggernaut, ammunition for rifles, bows, crossbows and the cannons, barrels of gunpowder, tons of extra weapons and armor of various kinds, multiple mechanical devices that they had Hagin looking at to see not only what they did but if they could be of any use, either as they were or in parts, bombs of various yields, bolts of cloth and sheets of leather, various other items they hadn't even gotten to yet, and so far more than a thousand gold in coin. Not to mention the Juggernaut itself. That was a massive win for the group.

They still didn't know what to do with it, though.

Apparently fighting together and rescuing Harry was good for the mixed group. A lot of the tension and mistrust between the two factions had dissolved and they were at least civil, if not friendly with each other.

It was another four days of them floating out at sea before Harry was able to stay awake for more than a couple of hours at a time, and another two before he could get out of bed and walk around. As soon as he could he went to find Vanessa. There were things he wanted to talk to her about, and he wanted to apologize for how he had been there at the end.

* * *

Harry and Vanessa sat down at the table to talk. Things had finally settled down, the Saldean's were safe, and Vanessa was free of Marisa's control. All that was left was a few questions Harry needed an answer to, and depending on those answers, he was prepared to offer her a place in their group. "I'm sorry for what I did back in the mines," Harry said.

Vanessa smiled at him and replied, "It's fine, Harry. I know that wasn't you. They had you on so many poisons and drugs I'm surprised you could remember your own name."

Harry nodded and let it go for the time being. "So, is it all over now?" he asked her curiously.

Vanessa nodded. "We managed to get word to Marshal Stoutmantle in Sentinel Hill. Marisa and the rest are either in prison or dead. No one will be coming after me or my family again, thanks to you, and I'm finally free of them once and for all."

"How are you feeling?" Harry asked cautiously.

Vanessa grinned and replied, "Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Her smile softened and she said, "I'm glad it's all over with and I can get on with my life."

"What is it you want to do with your life?" Harry asked cautiously.

A brief memory flitted across Vanessa's mind.

* * *

"_I want to be just like you when I grow up, daddy!"_

"_Baby, I don't want you to be just like me. I want you to be just like _you_."_

* * *

She didn't know why this particular memory came to the fore, it was just a little comment on a boring old day that had never stood out before. She remembered now that it confused her to no end when her father said that, so she did what all small children do when something confuses them in such a manner.

She promptly forgot about it. Until now.

"I still don't like Stormwind as a whole," Vanessa started slowly. "And I don't really want to have anything to do with them at the moment." She took a deep breath and finished, "But I think I'd like to join your group."

Harry grinned at her and replied, "Glad to have you on board then. Welcome to _The Worldwalkers_."

"I do have one question," Vanessa said. "If you all left from Stormwind to head to Karazhan in Deadwind Pass, why take the long way around and come here?"

Harry blinked owlishly. "We came the long way?"

* * *

**Character List:**

Harry – Human? - Wizard from Earth, now on Azeroth, leader of _The Worldwalkers_, and Master of Death. Recently started a shadow organization, _The Unspeakables_, to handle the things he can't officially do. Unspeakable codename is 'Watcher'.

Arko'narin Ravenstar – Night Elf – Warrior - Student under Jessir Moonbow.

Jessir Moonbow – Night Elf – Hunter – Arko'narin's mentor.

Meridia Moonblade – Night Elf – Former Sentinel, now works for Harry after she was dismissed from service and stripped of her rank.

Alurmi – Bronze Whelp/High Elf – Formerly the Quartermaster for the Keepers of Time. Sent by Nozdormu to spy on Harry, and kill him if necessary.

Paladin Kriinos – Draenei – Paladin – Sent by Prophet Velen to assist Harry in his quest against the Burning Legion. Brother to Priestess Karinaa.

Priestess Karinaa – Draenei – Priestess – Sent by Prophet Velen to assist Harry. Sister to Paladin Kriinos.

Jaina Proudmoore – Human – Mage – Member of the Kirin Tor. Sent by Kalecgos to investigate Harry and find out what kind of person he is. Friend and former mentor of Lyannara.

Lyannara Spellweaver – Human – Warlock – Former mage and former member of the Kirin Tor. Second in command of _The Unspeakables_, codenamed 'Guardian'.

Jasmine Nightshade – Human – Rogue – Member of SI:7 and Stormwind Assassins sent by Mathias as an attachment to _The Worldwalkers._

Garrim Thunderaxe – Dwarf – Warrior – Partner of Hagin Geargrinder.

Hagin Geargrinder – Gnome – Mage – Engineer and partner of Garrim Thunderaxe. Rather eccentric and doesn't like it when goblins call themselves engineers.

Morgan the Collector – Human – Rogue – Former Defias member. Left the Brotherhood after Edwin's orders started becoming more violent. Went by Barley H. Crown while living in Westfall and recently started using Morgan again with the group.

Surena Caledon – Human – Warlock – Former Defias member. Left the Brotherhood with Morgan for much the same reasons. Went by Mama Celeste while in hiding and recently started using her name again. Goes by 'Cale' to the people she knows well.

Sylvanas Windrunner – Forsaken – Hunter – Former Ranger-General of Quel'Thalas, now the leader of the Forsaken. Entered an alliance with Harry in the hopes of getting the Forsaken what they want most, as well as changing what her afterlife will be.

Clea Deathstrider – Forsaken – Hunter – Dark Ranger that traveled with Sylvanas to assist in the rescue of Harry.

Cyndia Hawkspear – Forsaken – Hunter – Same as above.

Anya Eversong – Forsaken – Hunter – Same as above.

Utvoch – Orc – Warrior – Former scout, Left Garrosh's army after seeing how failure was treated by the Warchief in Stonetalon Mts.

Dontrag – Orc – Warrior – Former sergeant that left with Utvoch for the same reasons.

Tortunga – Troll – Warrior – Met Utvoch and Dontrag in Northrend and began traveling with them. Joined _The Worldwalkers_ at the same time as his two orc friends.

Rimblat Earthshatter – Tauren – Shaman – Spent a lot of time in the Eastern Plaguelands as an ambassador at Light's Hope Chapel. Recently went to Zul'Drak in Northrend and ended up as an attachment from the _Earthen Ring_ to _The Worldwalkers_.

Taruk – Tauren – Shaman – A good gambler that ended up leaving the pirate life for something greater.

Lilian Voss – Forsaken – Rogue – Formerly a member of the Scarlet Crusade, she was killed and then raised. Originally quite distraught at being one of the undead, she eventually found out her father had disowned her and ordered her execution. Not long after, she killed him.

Alana Morningray – Blood Elf – Mage – Former member of the Kirin Tor, she was one of the first of Horde races to join _The Worldwalkers_ with her friend and partner, Coria Suntreader.

Coria Suntreader – Blood Elf – Mage – Also a former member of the Kirin Tor, she joined _The Worldwalkers_ at the same time as Alana.


	14. Interviews and Preparations

**Disclaimer:**

I don't own anything related to the rights of Harry Potter or Warcraft.

**Author's Note:**

Sorry about the lateness of this chapter. Between getting the new place ready and getting this one packed, along with writer's block concerning this story, I haven't had the time to do much writing. I'm not giving up on this story, but updates are going to be rare for the foreseeable future.

I do owe an apology to plums, however. Apparently I've not only swiped Karazhan out from under him, the last chapter seems to have taken a character he wanted to use as well. Oops. Sorry 'bout that.

As a side-note, the last chapter received... mixed reviews. Some liked it, some absolutely hated it. As I just wanted to do something different, and it was an entertaining experiment to write it, I doubt I'll be doing that kind of chapter again.

I've gone over the story so far and reworked and tweaked quite a bit. You might want to go back and see what's changed, such as Jasmine asking about reinforcements from the Unspeakables.

**Publish Date:** Aug. 20th, 2013

**Update Date:** N/A

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen**

Interviews and Preparations

It was decided that the group would leave the boat off the coast of the Swamp of Sorrows. It was either that or off the coast of Westfall, and that would have been further away from their destination. The question now was if it was a good idea to leave the Juggernaut while they were working on taking Karazhan. Right now, it was just Harry, Lyannara, Jessir, Sylvanas, Alana and Coria. The others were working on making an inventory list of everything they had, as well as a list of what they needed long-term.

"We can't just leave it floating out in the middle of the ocean, especially if it's in view of the coast," Lyannara said. "It'll likely be stolen and then we'll lose everything on it, not to mention this ship shouldn't really be in anyone else's hands." She shook her head and finished, "It's too much of a risk."

"Then the question becomes 'who is going to protect the ship while the others work on taking Karazhan?'," Harry concluded. "We're also more than a week behind schedule. We need to hurry, but we can't afford to rush." He turned to Sylvanas and said, "I finished designing the ritual yesterday. Now we just need a place to perform it."

Sylvanas nodded and hid her excitement. "What kind of place do you need for it?"

"For it to be a permanent setup?" Harry leaned back in thought for a moment before continuing, "A solid stone room, no windows, one door facing south, tied in to a minimum of three ley-lines, and it has to be a specific size." He shrugged and added, "For a one-time thing, I could pull it off anywhere I can draw the runes on the ground, but the runes will burn out after one use and then the entire setup will be nothing more than drawings in the dirt. I also won't be able to use that specific location again for a while."

Sylvanas looked confused and asked, "Why is that?"

"This ritual uses quite a bit of power, enough that it would take me weeks to charge them on my own instead of using the ley-lines to power it. A temporary setup will drain the area it's in of magic to power it and make it useless to try again until the area is resaturated with magic," Harry replied with a shrug. "We can still do the test run for proof anytime, but that's all I'll really be able to do without having that room as a permanent setup."

Sylvanas nodded and thought for a moment before saying, "I'd like to do that as soon as possible." She turned and grinned slightly before adding, "I'd like to know sooner rather than later if I'm wasting my time."

Harry nodded and replied, "That's fine, but they have to be willing to go through with it." He shook his head and continued, "Rituals are notoriously finicky. The difference between a willing and unwilling subject can cause the ritual to have... unintended side-effects."

"Such as?" Alana and Coria asked in stereo.

"Such as causing a backlash that will make a crater in the ground nearly half a mile wide and just as deep," Harry responded humorlessly. "And that's not the worst that could happen." He turned to Sylvanas and said seriously, "The person needs to be absolutely sure that this is what they want."

Sylvanas nodded and replied, "I'll talk to the rangers I brought with me and see if any of them are willing. If not, I'll have to find someone from the Undercity."

"What about Lilian Voss?" Jessir questioned.

Sylvanas frowned for a moment before saying, "I know nothing about her other than she was once a member of the Scarlet Crusade and killed many of my people. The rest wouldn't take too kindly to her being first in line for this." She shrugged and added, "Besides, I have no idea where her loyalties lie. If she returns to a living form, will she rejoin the Scarlet Crusade and begin killing my people again?" She shook her head and finished, "It's not something I'd be willing to risk."

Lyannara winced and said, "That would be bad."

"We're getting off topic," Harry interrupted. "We still need to decide who's staying here with the ship while the others come with me to take Karazhan."

"Well, we both know I'm going with you to Karazhan," Sylvanas said. At the curious look on Jessir and Coria's faces, the Banshee Queen added, "I doubt Harry trusts me enough to leave me on this ship without him here to keep an eye on me, and either way, part of our deal was if he provides proof that he can do what he says he can, then I would help him take his new base."

"I think, to keep everyone happy, or at least not angry, I'm going to have to leave someone from both factions in charge, so it doesn't look like I'm favoring one side over the other," Harry said, lost in thought. He seriously considered leaving Lyannara in charge of the Alliance side, but they likely wouldn't take kindly to taking orders from a warlock they didn't really know all that well. Plus, he wanted her with him at Karazhan to see for himself how she handled working in a group instead of alone as she always did. He didn't want to leave Jessir in charge, because even though Arko'narin hadn't been as attached to him as she was when they first started traveling together, she was still sticking nearby as often as she could. He didn't want to break up that duo, as they worked well together.

"You should leave Jaina in charge here for the Alliance side," Lyannara said. "She is a Kirin Tor member, and while I like her as a person, there are likely a lot of artifacts and books on magic in Karazhan." She shook her head and added, "Jaina is very loyal to them, and will likely try to push for some, if not all, of it to be studied by them, which means you'd have the Kirin Tor all over the tower and not nearly enough eyes to make sure nothing goes missing."

Seeing no one disagree with the warlocks assessment, Harry frowned and said, "That would be theft. Would they really risk it?"

Coria snorted and replied, "Jaina likely won't send anything back without asking first, and any books will be copies." She shook her head sadly and continued, "The rest? They won't think of it as theft. To them it will be appropriating things that you are simply too young to understand and aren't yours anyway."

Harry's frown deepened. "If that's the case, then I doubt I'll be dealing much with them unless it's through Jaina."

"I'd recommend that actually," Coria said. "At least for a while." She shook her head and added, "While there are a lot of good people in the Kirin Tor, most of the members are rabid about collecting knowledge."

Harry snorted and shook his head. "Knowledge means nothing without the wisdom to use it properly, and some knowledge should be lost and never looked for again."

Lyannara winced at that and Coria and Alana both frowned. "I'm not sure I agree with that. Everything has a use."

Harry hummed in thought for a second. He was hesitant to explain this one, and the top reason for why he believed this. Finally he spoke, "There's a ritual I know, one that should never have existed in the first place. It's designed to make a person effectively immortal. They can still be killed, but they don't move on and there are various ways they can regain a body. The person rips out a piece of their soul and places it in an object. Unless that object is destroyed, they can't be killed permanently."

Sylvanas frowned and said, "That doesn't really sound all that bad." As soon as the words passed her lips, the Banshee Queen seemed to sense that she had crossed some invisible line. Harry leaned forward, his now icy eyes boring into her own. He started speaking and an arctic chill ran up her spine at the utter viciousness in his voice.

"If I ever, _EVER_, hear about anyone trying to do that ritual, I will hunt them down to the very ends of the universe and beyond, and I will ensure that their afterlife makes Arthas' look wonderfully pleasant in comparison," Harry snarled at her.

Lyannara regained her wits first and said, "I take it there's a catch?"

"There is," Harry replied still not looking away from Sylvanas. "The only thing that can damage the soul enough to be able to break off a piece and place it in an object is the cold-blooded murder of an innocent, with no remorse, no guilt, and no desire to repent for it. And the only way to be sure the person you're going to murder is a true innocent is for it to be a _child_." Harry's eyes narrowed and he asked Sylvanas, "Are you really willing to slaughter a child for a few extra years of me hunting you down like a rabid dog?"

Suddenly, it didn't sound as appealing as it did at first. Sylvanas shook her head and said, "No, I'd rather not."

After a moment, Harry let her go and righted his chair, sitting down with a sigh. "I've gone over that ritual and many others several times, and there's nothing redeemable in them." He scowled and continued, "Knowledge like that should never see the light of day, ever. It has no purpose other than causing pain and death." Harry sighed again and said, "And we got off track again. We need to decide on a Horde leader for the ship, as well as a neutral third person."

"Rimblat Earthsong," Sylvanas said. "He has the most experience, he's officially an ambassador for the _Earthen Ring_ to your organization, but he also seems like one of the best." She frowned and continued, "As for a neutral third party, we don't really have anyone other than that Bronze whelp, Alurmi, and she seems highly loyal to Harry, and not necessarily neutral."

"Right now we just need someone neutral to both the Alliance and Horde," Lyannara said, "Not necessarily completely neutral." She shrugged and continued, "Besides, I know Jaina will be looking out for the best interests of her people, Rimblat will likely be looking out for the Horde's, that leaves Alurmi to look out for Harry's."

After a moment Sylvanas nodded and said, "Agreed. But having three people in charge will cause making decisions to be a longer process, and that can be disastrous in an emergency situation."

"Not much I can do about that," Harry sighed. "And we need to start getting everyone ready for how the chain of command is going to work in this group." He sighed again and thought for a moment before saying, "Alright, I agree with the appointments, so we should let them know soon, and Sylvanas still needs to talk to her people and get a volunteer before we can go take Karazhan." He turned to Sylvanas and added, "Whomever volunteers will likely be unconscious for a while afterward so their mind and body can acclimate, and even after they wake up there might be some minor temporary side-effects that will interfere with their duties."

"Side-effects?" Sylvanas asked with a raised eyebrow.

Harry nodded and replied, "Dizziness, nausea, possibly a case of the hiccups, things like that. They'll go away after a little time. All it really is is the body trying to get used to the fact that it's not dead anymore."

"But they _are_ temporary?" Sylvanas questioned intensely. She didn't want to risk the survival of one of her best if there were permanent downsides.

Harry nodded and said, "Yes, they are. They'll last a few days at most." He shrugged and smirked slightly, adding, "More annoying than anything else."

Sylvanas nodded. "I need to go find a volunteer then," she said, standing swiftly and leaving the room to go find her rangers.

Harry nodded and turned to Alana and Coria. "Can you two go tell Jaina and Rimblat that they'll be in charge of the Alliance and Horde sides while we're gone?" They both nodded and left as Harry turned to Jessir and continued, "And can you go tell Alurmi that she's our current neutral leader until we can hear back from the Dragonflights about a permanent neutral party?" Jessir nodded as well and left to find the Bronze whelp, wherever she was. As soon as she left and the door clicked shut behind her, Harry began casting privacy wards around the table he and Lyannara were sitting at.

As he finished and leaned back in his chair, Lyannara asked, "I take it you want me to give my report now?" At Harry's nod, Lyannara sighed and quickly organized her thoughts. "I don't think an alliance with SI:7 is a good idea at this time. There's too much risk of unnecessary friction and that could cause severe problems for us in the long run. I believe that until we're more established and stable, we should keep from forming alliances with anyone. A general truce, however, isn't a bad idea. It's a good way to test the waters for an alliance and keep them out of our hair for the most part."

Harry nodded. "Agreed. And your report on Jasmine Nightshade?"

"That's more difficult," Lyannara replied with a sigh. "I believe that she still holds hope for SI:7 and the Stormwind Assassins, even if she knows it's false hope. I think if we approach her, we need to be able to give her several solid reasons why her changing affiliations is a good thing. She seems to really want to protect people in general, and not just Stormwind above all others, and is unhappy that both organizations either never have or don't anymore." The warlock leaned back in her chair and continued, "I think if we gave her solid reasons, predominantly protecting _all_ innocents, she'd be more willing to join, but her... inability to see the bigger picture at the moment is a problem. She still believes that the law is the law, and breaking it should be punished, no matter what, and if we have to let someone go to get a worse threat, she might not take to that well. She can also keep a secret, as evidenced by the fact that she could have asked the group in general at the meeting about possibly getting Unspeakable help, but didn't. Not sure why, though." After a moment she finished, "My official recommendation is to interview her and see if we can get her to see that. If she does, she would make a good recruit. If not, then we can send her on her way with a truce with SI:7."

"And what should be done about her current affiliations if she does join us?" Harry asked.

Lyannara sighed heavily and ran her fingers through her hair. "I think that, if we can convince her of it, it would be a good idea for her to remain a member of both organizations for information and cover, but convincing her to spy on her old groups might be a bit too far for her to be comfortable with at the moment. We might have to ease in to that one at a later date, but it would still be a good idea for her to use SI:7 as a cover."

Harry nodded, and after a moment, turned to her, saying, "Alright then. The next step is approaching her for recruitment. I want you to let her know to be here in an hour, Guardian."

Lyannara nodded and asked, "Is there any specific way you want it done?"

Harry shook his head and replied, "I don't care as long as she's here one hour from now."

Lyannara nodded once and stood as Harry dropped the privacy wards, both leaving the room and going their separate ways to get ready.

* * *

Jasmine was wandering below decks, lost in thought. She still hadn't figured out who Guardian was, and that bothered her a bit. The information trade was her business, and she was damn good at it, and the fact that there _was_ no information on something bothered her. How did an entire organization stay so damned _secret_?! Even the Stormwind Assassins weren't as secret as these people! Not really paying attention, turned a corner and bumped into someone. She looked up to apologize and froze.

"Hello, Nightshade."

Jasmine backed up a step and glanced around. Seeing she was on her own, she sighed slightly and replied cautiously, "Guardian." As the silence stretched on, Jasmine became more and more uncomfortable, enough to nearly begin fidgeting.

After a long and tense moment, Guardian spoke again. "I appreciate you not outing me or the organization, but I must ask, why didn't you?"

Jasmine hesitated for a second before looking down, slightly ashamed at her reasoning. "Harry would have survived no matter what. The information was more valuable than that. It would have been a waste."

Guardian's eyes narrowed at her and Jasmine suppressed her urge to flinch back. After another tense moment, Guardian nodded sharply and said, "Agreed. I'm pleased you realized this. There is hope for you yet in our organization." After a slight pause, the figure continued, "One floor up, the room all the way at the front of the ship. Go there and wait." Seeing Jasmine frozen on the spot, Guardian's eyes narrowed further and said, "_Now_."

Jasmine nodded once and backed away, heading off to the room in question.

* * *

"You want me to what?!"

Harry sighed in exasperation and repeated, "I want you to take the lead on this interview." After a moment he continued, "You need to learn how to make these kind of decisions on your own, and I won't be there to hold your hand every step of the way. I know you're used to working alone, and quite good at it, but now you're a part of this organization, my second to be specific. You have the authority to make quite a few decisions on your own that affect the future of the entire group, and you need to become accustomed to wielding that kind of power."

Lyannara stared at him, wide-eyed and slightly panicked. "But I have no idea what I'm doing! What if I mess this up?"

Harry turned toward her and put his hands on her shoulders, staring at her with an intensity that made her shiver. "Then you will learn from your mistakes and do your best to mitigate the damage before it becomes too much." He shook his head and sighed sadly, continuing, "I know I'm pretty much throwing you off the deep end and expecting you to learn how to swim, but I _know_ you can do this, and do it quite well."

He smiled at her and Lyannara calmed down. She took a deep breath and nodded once, saying, "Okay."

Harry smiled wider and pulled a thick file out of his cloak, handing it to the warlock. "This is a copy of Jasmine's file from SI:7 and the Stormwind Assassins. Use it well."

Lyannara's eyes widened in shock again and she muttered, "Do I even want to know how you managed to get your hands on this? I know how secure those files are."

Harry just grinned in reply.

* * *

Forty minutes later found Jasmine pacing the indicated room. She still didn't know _why_ she had followed Guardian's orders so quickly, or why she was here in the first place. There were too many unknowns and she was rather uncomfortable with that. She felt like she was slipping further and further down a path that would either be absolutely amazing or horrifyingly terrible, and the only way to find out which it was, was to keep going down it. She briefly wondered if she would be able to go back if she didn't like it, and the consequences of such an action. She had already been told that they take their secrecy seriously, evidenced by the fact that no one could find out _anything_ about this organization or it's members.

She sighed for what felt like the hundredth time and was just considering leaving and forgetting this ever happened when the door opened and two figures stepped inside, shutting and locking the door behind them. One was obviously Guardian, the glowing, smoky gray orbs indicated that, but she had no idea who the second figure was, all she knew was the person had glowing, poisonous green eyes. Given that Guardian was standing in front of the new figure, and Guardian was second in command of The Unspeakables, she was betting that this second figure was an underling, but that begged the question, was there more than one Unspeakable inside Harry's organization? And if not, then how did the second one get on the Juggernaut in the middle of the ocean without ever being noticed by anyone? And _when_? Especially considering Sylvanas' rangers were usually up on the deck keeping watch. Say what you will about the Banshee Queen and her Dark Rangers, but the simple fact was, they _wouldn't_ have missed seeing someone board the Juggernaut without at least attempting to stop it, which worried her considerably.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Guardian spoke. "I see we need to work on your patience." Guardian waved towards the table and said, "Have a seat, there are some things we must discuss."

Jasmine sat cautiously at the table, making sure to keep close to a wall and the door in sight, as well as the two unknown figures. After Jasmine sat down, Guardian turned toward the other Unspeakable and waited patiently. After a moment the second figure said, "We're good. No interruptions."

There was a slight _something_ in that second voice that set multiple alarms off in her mind. She felt she should _know_ who the second figure was, but it kept slipping through her fingers like water. She shook her head and pushed it to the back of her mind, deciding to work on it later when she could devote the time and focus to it instead of splitting her attention between it and what was happening at the moment. Before either Unspeakable could say anything further, Jasmine asked, "Why was I asked to be here?"

Guardian shrugged and replied, "I once told you that you were being considered for recruitment. This is the next and last step along that journey. Watcher has already evaluated your combat ability, and was actually mildly impressed. I have evaluated your ability to make decisions, and while I may not necessarily agree with some of them, you had reasons for them that at least made sense."

Jasmine, for her part, looked rather shocked at that. Guardian had told her that she was being considered and evaluated, but to come to a decision to advance the process already? Jasmine's brain screeched to a sudden and vicious halt as Guardian pulled a very familiar file out of his or her robes and dropped it on the table, _her_ file. Suddenly, in her mind at least, things were decidedly _not_ looking good for her. She had seen her file before, and it was _not_ a pleasant read, nor was it entirely accurate.

"I assume you know what this is?" Guardian asked, and Jasmine could hear the underlying amusement. At Jasmine's jerky nod, Guardian nodded once and replied, "Good." Suddenly Guardian snapped his or her fingers and the file went up in intense emerald green flames. "Because we don't care what's written about you by others in a file. It's far too likely to be inaccurate. I hadn't even opened it."

Jasmine let out a breath she hadn't even really realized she had been holding, and looked at Guardian with wide eyes. "Why did you do that?"

"To make a point," Guardian said seriously. "A file can hardly encompass the entirety of a person, let alone the reasons behind the decisions they've made. While decent for general information, they are only _one_ source of information, and are not to be solely relied upon. Especially files such as that one. If it was a file of your own creation about you, or someone that knew you quite well, I would not hesitate to use it as a viable source of information, but a file about you made by others, especially someone that doesn't know you at all personally, is not worth my time." Guardian shrugged and continued, "Either way, that file was only a copy. The original is still wherever it was acquired from."

"Can I ask who managed to get their hands on it?" Jasmine asked curiously.

Guardian looked at her colleague for a moment, having a silent conversation. After a moment, Guardian turned back to Jasmine and replied, "Watcher was the one who acquired it," which shocked Jasmine considerably. The head of the organization went through all the trouble of acquiring that file? Once again, Jasmine could hear the amusement in Guardian's voice as he or she stated, "It seems my boss has taken a personal interest in you, as well as your future."

After a moment of silence as Jasmine came to terms with this new piece of information, she shook her head slightly and said, "I still don't know what to call your... Associate."

Guardian chuckled and replied, "Nice try. My colleague's name is unimportant at this stage of the process. All you need to know is that my colleague is here to observe and let me know if I am being lied to or mislead in any way." Guardian leaned back and said, "Go ahead and test my associate. This is actually the first time we've worked together in the field, and I find myself curious to see if the reputation is accurate."

Guardian's companion snorted slightly and stated, "Alright then." The person waved their hand at Jasmine, indicating her to go ahead and begin.

Jasmine wet her lips, but before she could open her mouth to begin, she was silenced when the person said, "Lie. Do try and come up with something better than an old cover that was burned to the ground."

Jasmine jerked back in shock and turned to Guardian, who seemed as surprised as she did, if the widened eyes were anything to go by. She turned back to the person and nodded. Deciding that the best lies were the ones surrounded by truth, she decided to alter a few minor details, but otherwise be truthful. Hopefully that would trip him or her up enough to make her feel a bit more comfortable about having someone in the room who could detect lies before they were even spoken. She took a deep breath and began, "My name is Jasmine Celene Nightshade, I'm twenty-four years old. I was born in the Cathedral district and I became an SI:7 agent when I was thirteen. Up until then I was a pickpocket. I'm a third finger in the Stormwind Assassins, and I should be a second within a few years. I have one of the highest mission success rates in either organization and I enjoy my job." The figure nodded along with her story, and for a split second after she finished, she thought she had succeeded.

Then he or she spoke.

"Your middle name is Celeste, not Celene. You were born in Old Town, not the Cathedral District. You weren't a pickpocket, but you were a petty thief. You didn't feel comfortable stealing other people's money, but you were able to justify to yourself swiping food and other necessities from larger businesses that could afford the loss. You did what you could anonymously to repay the debt you felt you owed those businesses, but you still feel like you haven't done enough, even after you left enough money to pay for what you took, with interest. You're a fourth finger in the Stormwind Assassins, and you have been for your entire career, much to your displeasure. You know you likely won't be promoted within a few years, if ever. And you really don't enjoy your job, you just stay with it because it offers the best opportunity to do what you love. Protecting people. You're also terrified of what would happen to you if you tried to leave." With a shrug, the person finished, "The rest was truth."

Jasmine was feeling particularly exposed at the moment, and when Guardian looked toward her to confirm, all she could do was give a rather shaky nod. Guardian leaned back and chuckled, saying, "Well it seems my associate's reputation is rather accurate, and a bit understated." After a moment of thought, Guardian spoke again. "Well, that answered quite a few of my questions, but there are still some I need answers to before I can officially approve your recruitment, the first of which being, do you even _want_ to be a part of our organization? Keep in mind that we place a very high value on our secrecy, and anything you learn about us can not be reported back to SI:7 or the Assassins without Watcher's or my verbal permission."

"Would Watcher or you even be willing to do so?" Jasmine asked curiously.

Guardian leaned back in thought for a moment before replying, "I suppose it depends on the information and the circumstances. What I can guarantee is that anything personal about our identities under the robes and such will never be allowed to be known outside of our organization. It makes it much more difficult for us to do our jobs if everyone knows who we are, and it also puts the people around us and the people we care about at great risk if it ever got out."

Jasmine nodded absently and leaned back in her chair to think. Did she want to be a part of The Unspeakables? After a few moments of thought, she decided that she needed more information before she could make a decision. She still didn't know quite a bit about the organization itself, and that worried her quite a bit. She leaned forward and took a deep breath, hoping that this would go over well and not cause any... Friction. "Before I can answer that with any kind of certainty, there are questions I have as well." At Guardian's nod, Jasmine relaxed a bit and asked, "What is your organization supposed to do?"

"We do many things, ranging from gathering information to assassinating warlords, and if anyone puts innocent lives at risk, they become our problem, no matter who they are," Guardian stated.

Jasmine nodded absently and after a moment asked, "What do you intend to do about SI:7 and the Stormwind Assassins?"

Guardian leaned back and sighed heavily. After a moment, Guardian spoke, "While I am not personally all that fond of either organization, they have their uses, and I suppose Shaw does have the best interests of Stormwind at heart. Unfortunately, he places Stormwind and Humans above all others, which is something we do _not_ condone. If someone is an innocent, then they should be protected, period."

"What about the Horde?" Jasmine questioned, tilting her head to the side in curiosity.

Guardian chuckled and replied, "We are rather neutral to both factions. As I said before, If someone is an innocent, then they should be protected, period. Even members of the Horde."

Jasmine nodded in agreement and continued. "If I did join, what would happen to my job in SI:7 and the Stormwind Assassins?"

Guardian sighed heavily, saying, "Well it's not like you can just quit, can you? But that puts us in a bit of a predicament. I would prefer it if you continued on and used them as cover, but that puts you in a rather precarious position of having two different loyalties, and that can cause problems."

It was Jasmine's turn to sigh heavily and reply, "Well, seeing as you already know, I suppose there's no harm in saying this. My loyalty to both organizations has become considerably strained over the past few years. That said, I still wouldn't feel right spying on them."

Guardian nodded and thought for a moment, before asking cautiously, "Regardless of your decision to join us, would you be willing to pass along information that you know won't be acted upon so that we can? Nothing like personal files or the like, just things that you know will sit and gather dust, things that will help us save innocent lives?" Seeing Jasmine open her mouth to speak, Guardian held up a hand to stop her and said, "Don't answer right now, just think about it and let us know either way."

"But that has nothing to do with my possible recruitment?" At Guardian's nod, Jasmine asked, "Will I be ordered to do so if I do decide this is something I want?"

"No," Guardian stated forcefully. "While it would be appreciated, and it would definitely make our jobs a bit easier, it isn't worth making an agent uncomfortable or unhappy with his or her job."

Jasmine nodded and leaned back in her chair in thought. After several moments, she looked up and nodded sharply, saying, "Then yes, I think I would like to join."

"Good," Guardian stated happily. "Some things you must know first, however. We take our secrecy seriously and highly value our privacy. If you do join us, you will have to go through me to communicate with Watcher for a while. You will know who I am, but that will be it. This is so you have a contact in case things need to be passed along or you need us to come to you for some reason. Second, once you join us, it is for life." At Jasmine's widened eyes, Guardian held up a hand and continued, "While yes you can officially leave whenever you like, we are a rather tight-knit group, we have to be. But that also means that even if you leave, you _can_ still call on us for things if need be, and we may still call on you from time to time, though that will be if there is little recourse left to us."

Jasmine relaxed quite a bit at that, it was actually quite reasonable. "So I won't be... Forcibly retired?"

The sudden snarl that Guardian's colleague let out made Jasmine jump slightly, and in an extremely hard voice, Guardian stated, "That. Will. Not. Happen. At worst, if your cover is burned and you are identified as one of us-"

"That's my responsibility, actually," Guardian's companion interrupted. Guardian turned to him or her and after a moment motioned for him to continue before leaning back. Guardian's companion continued, "There are three options concerning that. Option one, we fake your death in a very public manner, create you a new identity from the ground up, and you continue on with us as usual. Option two, fake death, new identity, and you leave the organization of your own free will, with the rather simple promise of not spilling our secrets. Option three, Your codename changes and you become one of us permanently, and never go back to your old life, or any other, ever again." The person sighed and added, "Option three isn't the best one, but it's still an option for those that want it. At the very worst, you will be retired against your will, but not... Forcibly retired."

Jasmine sighed in relief and smiled, saying, "I can handle that."

* * *

Sylvanas sat down at the table with her three rangers, who were looking at her curiously. It wasn't often that she went through so much trouble to ensure a private meeting, but when she did, she _really_ did. After a moment, Sylvanas spoke. "I need to find a volunteer to go through with this ritual." She looked between Clea, Anya and Cyndia and asked, "Are any of you three willing to go through with this? Keep in mind that I've been told that you must be sure in your decision, or it could cause a catastrophe, as in the potential to cause destruction on a regional scale, if luck is on our side."

The three Dark Rangers looked at each other, conversing silently. After a moment, Anya spoke up and asked, "Are you sure he can do this?" At Sylvanas' nod, she concluded with, "Then I will volunteer."

* * *

**Character List:**

Harry – Human? - Wizard from Earth, now on Azeroth, leader of _The Worldwalkers_, and Master of Death. Recently started a shadow organization, _The Unspeakables_, to handle the things he can't officially do. Unspeakable codename is 'Watcher'.

Arko'narin Ravenstar – Night Elf – Warrior - Student under Jessir Moonbow.

Jessir Moonbow – Night Elf – Hunter – Arko'narin's mentor.

Meridia Moonblade – Night Elf – Former Sentinel, now works for Harry after she was dismissed from service and stripped of her rank.

Alurmi – Bronze Whelp/High Elf – Formerly the Quartermaster for the Keepers of Time. Sent by Nozdormu to spy on Harry, and kill him if necessary.

Paladin Kriinos – Draenei – Paladin – Sent by Prophet Velen to assist Harry in his quest against the Burning Legion. Brother to Priestess Karinaa.

Priestess Karinaa – Draenei – Priestess – Sent by Prophet Velen to assist Harry. Sister to Paladin Kriinos.

Jaina Proudmoore – Human – Mage – Member of the Kirin Tor. Sent by Kalecgos to investigate Harry and find out what kind of person he is. Friend and former mentor of Lyannara.

Lyannara Spellweaver – Human – Warlock – Former mage and former member of the Kirin Tor. Second in command of _The Unspeakables_, codenamed 'Guardian'.

Jasmine Nightshade – Human – Rogue – Member of SI:7 and Stormwind Assassins sent by Mathias as an attachment to _The Worldwalkers._

Garrim Thunderaxe – Dwarf – Warrior – Partner of Hagin Geargrinder.

Hagin Geargrinder – Gnome – Mage – Engineer and partner of Garrim Thunderaxe. Rather eccentric and doesn't like it when goblins call themselves engineers.

Morgan the Collector – Human – Rogue – Former Defias member. Left the Brotherhood after Edwin's orders started becoming more violent. Went by Barley H. Crown while living in Westfall and recently started using Morgan again with the group.

Surena Caledon – Human – Warlock – Former Defias member. Left the Brotherhood with Morgan for much the same reasons. Went by Mama Celeste while in hiding and also recently started using her name again. Goes by 'Cale' to the people she knows well.

Vanessa VanCleef – Human – Rogue – Former figurehead leader of the Defias Brotherhood. Marissa DuPaige was blackmailing her into reforming the brotherhood under 'her' leadership. Finally got away with Harry's help and joined _The Worldwalkers._

Sylvanas Windrunner – Forsaken – Hunter – Former Ranger-General of Quel'Thalas, now the leader of the Forsaken. Entered an alliance with Harry in the hopes of getting the Forsaken what they want most, as well as changing what her afterlife will be.

Clea Deathstrider – Forsaken – Hunter – Dark Ranger that traveled with Sylvanas to assist in the rescue of Harry.

Cyndia Hawkspear – Forsaken – Hunter – Same as above.

Anya Eversong – Forsaken – Hunter – Same as above.

Utvoch – Orc – Warrior – Former scout, Left Garrosh's army after seeing how failure was treated by the Warchief in Stonetalon Mts.

Dontrag – Orc – Warrior – Former sergeant that left with Utvoch for the same reasons.

Tortunga – Troll – Warrior – Met Utvoch and Dontrag in Northrend and began traveling with them. Joined _The Worldwalkers_ at the same time as his two orc friends.

Rimblat Earthshatter – Tauren – Shaman – Spent a lot of time in the Eastern Plaguelands as an ambassador at Light's Hope Chapel. Recently went to Zul'Drak in Northrend and ended up as an attachment from the _Earthen Ring_ to _The Worldwalkers_.

Taruk – Tauren – Shaman – A good gambler that ended up leaving the pirate life for something greater.

Lilian Voss – Forsaken – Rogue – Formerly a member of the Scarlet Crusade, she was killed and then raised. Originally quite distraught at being one of the undead, she eventually found out her father had disowned her and ordered her execution. Not long after, she killed him.

Alana Morningray – Blood Elf – Mage – Former member of the Kirin Tor, she was one of the first of Horde races to join _The Worldwalkers_ with her friend and partner, Coria Suntreader.

Coria Suntreader – Blood Elf – Mage – Also a former member of the Kirin Tor, she joined _The Worldwalkers_ at the same time as Alana.


End file.
